Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pftt2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-20T23:17:46.227Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The response of breeding sows and gilts to two levels of protein and food intake over several parities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

D. L. Frape ,
J. Wilkinson ,
L. G. Chubb  and
K. L. Wolf
D. L. Frape
Affiliation:
Spillers Limited, Kennett Nutritional Centre, Bury Road, Kennett, Nr Newmarket, Suffolk
J. Wilkinson
Affiliation:
Spillers Limited, Kennett Nutritional Centre, Bury Road, Kennett, Nr Newmarket, Suffolk
L. G. Chubb
Affiliation:
Spillers Limited, Kennett Nutritional Centre, Bury Road, Kennett, Nr Newmarket, Suffolk
K. L. Wolf
Affiliation:
Spillers Limited, Research and Development Farm, Middle Aston, Nr Steeple Aston, Oxfordshire
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

An experiment, involving 68 female pigs, was undertaken to measure the effects of two diets differing in protein content, and of two patterns of feeding. The animals were housed in an enclosed building. The experiment extended through several parities; culled sows were replaced by gilts during the experiment, the whole course of which lasted 5 years.

The diets were given at the rate of 1–8 or 2–3 kg per day throughout gestation, but the rate was reversed during the 5-week lactation so that, for litters of eight to nine pigs sows in each treatment group received the same quantity of food per parity. As a result of unsatisfactory performance, dietary composition was changed after 2 years so that for the last 3 years the digestible energy contents were higher.

Treatments significantly influenced gestation live-weight gain, lactation weight loss and gestation backfat gain. The lower rate of gestation feeding was associated with low or negative gestation weight increases after the third to fourth litters, and a greater apparent rate of decline with increasing age in birth and 3-week weight per piglet. The high gestation, low lactation, rates of feeding led to slightly greater litter size and lower weaning weights per pig. A daily intake of 208 g crude protein and 8'3 g lysine appeared to meet the sow's requirements throughout gestation.

In the pregnant sow feeding area, winter air temperatures were on average 16 °C below those in the summer, but were rarely below freezing point. Winter backfat gain was lower than, and gestation gain only half that in the summer. Litter size was also greater following summer pregnancies and 3-week weight per pig was greater following winter pregnancies. Independent of litter size, birth and 3-week weight per pig were positively correlated with gestation gain within treatment and season. The apparent positive correlation of litter size at 3 weeks with gestation backfat and weight gain was not found at birth. Litter size at birth was negatively correlated with gestation gain within season. The percentage of fertile matingswas less for matings between 1 September and 31 January. This coincided approximately with the reduced litter size (alive) which occurred following winter gestations.

Lactation weight loss and 3-week weight per pig declined with increasing age of sow and the degree of weight loss was unrelated to subsequent litter size.

The apparent effect of seasons and treatments on litter size at birth appeared not to be an obvious function of changes in live weight, which were also marked between seasons and treatments, but level of food intake in early gestation may have affected litter size independently. It was concluded that birth weight especially in the older sows, was associated with the rate of food intake in gestation, and possibly also in lactation, and with gestation empty weight gain.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 76 , Issue 1 , February 1971 , pp. 73 - 82
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Agricultural Research Council (1967). Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock, no. 3.Google Scholar
Bazer, F. W., Clawson, A. J., Robison, O. W., Vincent, C. K. & Ulberg, L. C. (1968). Explanation for embryo death in gilts fed a high energy intake. J. Anim. Sci. 27, 1021–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boaz, T. G. (1962). The significance of level of protein in the nutrition of the pregnant sow. Vet. Rec. 74, 1482–89.Google Scholar
Bowland, J. P. (1964). Influence of source and level of energy and level of protein intake on sow performance during growth, gestation and lactation. 1. Gain, energy requirements, and reproductive performance. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 44, 142—53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clawson, A. J., Richaeds, H. L., Matkone, G. & Barrick, E. R. (1963). Influence of level of total nutrient and protein intake on reproductive performance in swine. J. Anim. Sci. 22, 662—69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dean, B. T. & Tribble, L. F. (1960). Effect of level of energy intake during gestation on condition and performance of swine. J. Anim. Sci. 19, 1257, abstr. no. 108.Google Scholar
Dufour, J. & Bernard, C. (1968). Effect of light on the development of market pigs and breeding gilts. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 48, 425–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elsley, F. W. H. (1968). The influence of feeding level upon the reproductive performance of pregnant sows. Vet. Rec. 83, 93–7.Google Scholar
Elsley, F. W. H., Bannerman, M., Bathurst, E. V. J., Bracewell, A. G., Cunningham, J. M. M., Dodsworth, T. L., Dodds, P. A., Forbes, T. J. & Laird, R. (1969). The effect of level of feed intake in pregnancy and in lactation upon the productivity of sows. Anim. Prod. 11, 225–41.Google Scholar
Elsley, F. W. H., Mcdonald, I. & Macpherson, R. M. (1966). The effect of feed intake and protein concentration during pregnancy on the nitrogen content of newly born pigs. Anim. Prod. 8, 353. Abstr.Google Scholar
Elsley, F. W. H., Macpherson, R. M. & Mcdonald, I. (1968). The influence of intake of dietary energy in pregnancy and lactation upon sow productivity. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 71, 215–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eyles, D. E. (1959). Feeding and management of pregnant sows on pasture. Anim. Prod. 1, 41–50.Google Scholar
Frape, D. L., Wolf, K. L., Wilkinson, J. & Chubb, L. G. (1969a). Liver weight and its N and vitamin A contents in piglets from sows fed two levels of protein and food. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 73, 33–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frape, D. L., Wolf, K. L., Wilkinson, J. & Chubb, L. G. (1969b). The effects of two dietary protein and two food intake levels on liveweight and back-fat changes in sows and their productivity over several parities. Anim. Prod. 11, 290 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Fbobish, L. T., Speer, V. C. & Hays, V. W. (1966). Effect of protein and energy intake on reproductive performance in swine. J. Anim. Sci. 25, 729–33.Google Scholar
Gill, J. C. & Thomson, W. (1956). Effect of environmental temperature on suckling pigs and a study of the milk yield of the sow. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 47, 324–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klockova, A. J., Rooov, G. O. & Emme, A. M. (1961). The effect of photoperiodicity on sexual functions of sows. Svinovodstvo 15, 42–4.Google Scholar
Lodge, G. A. (1959). The energy requirements of lactating sows and the influence of level of food intake upon milk production and reproductive performance. J. agric. Sci. Camb. 53, 177–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lodge, G. A. (1969). The effects of pattern of feed distribution during the reproductive cycle on the performance of sows. Anim. Prod. 11, 133–43.Google Scholar
Lodge, G. A., Elsley, F. W. H. & Macpherson, R. M. (1966). The effect of level of feeding of sows during pregnancy. I. Reproductive performance. Anim. Prod. 8, 29–38.Google Scholar
Lodge, G. A. & Lucas, I. A. M. (1959). Breeding and rearing pigs. In Scientific Principles of Feeding Farm Livestock, pp. 125–67. London: Farmer and Stockbreeder Publs. Ltd.Google Scholar
Mayrose, V. B., Speer, V. C. & Hays, V. W. (1966). Effect of feeding levels on the reproductive performance of swine. J. Anim. Sci. 25, 701–5.Google Scholar
Motjstgaard, J. (1962). Nutrition of Pigs and Poultry ed. Morgan, J. T. and Lewis, D.), pp. 189–206. Proc. Univ. Nottingham Eighth Easter School in Agric. Sci. 1961. London: Butterworths.Google Scholar
Nielsen, H. E. (1969). Growth rate, fertility and longevity of boars on different diets during rearing, and some results concerning fertility in sows. Beretn. Forsogslab. 375, 1–47.Google Scholar
O'Grady, J. F. (1967). Effect of level and pattern of feeding during pregnancy on weight change and reproductive performance of sows. Irish. J. Agric. Res. 6, 57–71.Google Scholar
Omtvedt, I. T., Stanislaw, C. M. & Whatley, J. A. jr, (1965). Relationship of gestation length, age and weight at breeding, and gestation gain to sow productivity at farrowing. J. Anim. Sci. 24, 531—35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perky, J. S. (1954). Fecundity and embryonic mortality in pigs. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 2, 308—22.Google Scholar
Pike, I. U. (1970). The effect on nitrogen utilization in the sow of variation in dietary protein concentration and pattern of feeding in pregnancy. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 74, 209–15.Google Scholar
Pike, I. & Boaz, T. G. (1966). Effect of condition at service and feed level in pregnancy on the pregnant sow. Anim. Prod. 8, 353 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Richards, H. L., Clawson, A. J. & Barrick, E. R. (1961). Energy and protein requirement of bred gilts. J. Anim. Sci. 20, 949–50. Abstr.Google Scholar
Rippel, R. H., Rasmussen, O. G., Norton, H. W., Becker, D. E. & Jensen, A. H. (1962). Reproductive performance of swine fed different sources and levels of protein. J. Anim. Sci. 21, 1010. Abstr.Google Scholar
Rippel, R. H., Harmon, B. G., Jensen, A. H., Norton, H. W. & Becker, D. E. (1965a). Response of the gravid gilt to levels of protein as determined by nitrogen balance. J. Anim. Sci. 24, 209–15.Google Scholar
Rippel, R. H., Harmon, B. G., Jensen, A. H., Norton, H. W. & Becker, D. E. (1965b). Essential amino acid supplementation of intact proteins fed to the gravid gilt. J. Anim. Sci. 24, 373–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salmon-Leoagnetjr, E., (1965). Quelques aspects de relations nutritionelles entre la gestation et la lactation chez la truie. Annls Zootech. 14, 1–137.Google Scholar
Salmon-Legagneur, E., Legatxlt, C. & Aumaitre, A. (1966). Relations entre les variations pond6rales de la truie en reproduction et les performance d'61evage. Annls Zootech. 15, 215–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schui/tz, J. R., Speer, V. C, Hays, V. W. & Melampy, R. M. (1966). Influence of feed intake and progestogen on reproductive performance in swine. J. Anim. Sci. 25, 157—60.Google Scholar
Shimiztj, H. & Taketjchi, S. (1969). Effect of early weaning at about 30 days after farrowing on the reproductive characteristics in gilts and sows. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 72, 247–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, D. M. (1960). The effect of conditions at farrowing upon the subsequent milk yield and the efficiency of production. N. Z. J. agric. Res. 3, 598–616.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walters, A. A. & Boaz, T. G. (1963). Effects of temperature and birth weight on milk intake of baby piga. Anim. Prod. 5, 9 (abstr.).Google Scholar