Animal Production
- Animal Production / Volume 42 / Issue 01 / February 1986, pp 127-132
- Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1986
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0003356100017815 (About DOI), Published online: 02 September 2010
Research Article
The effect of restricted energy and nutrient intake after mating on reproductive performance of multiparous sows
G. W. Dycka1 p1 and D. J. A. Colea1
a1 Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Nottingham School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD
Abstract
Ninety-six multiparous sows were allocated at random on the 1st day of mating at the post-weaning oestrus to three dietary treatments of: 1·84 kg control diet (C); 0·92 kg control diet plus 0·92 kg pelleted hay (R); or 1·84 kg pelleted hay per day (M) for the following 10-day period to determine if restriction of nutrient intake affected reproductive performance. Subsequent to the 10-day period of nutrient intake restriction, all sows were fed 1·84 kg control diet once daily. The treatments had no effect on pregnancy rate, number of piglets born, number born alive, number weaned, or on piglet weight at birth or at weaning. Sows on the M treatment from oestrus to day 10 lost more weight (8·6 kg) during the 10-day period of nutrient restriction than the sows on the R (3·4 kg) or. the C (0·7 kg) treatments. However, weight gain from oestrus to day 110 of gestation was similar for all three treatments (16·5, 17·8 and 17·1 kg, respectively). Thus, restriction of nutrient intake early in pregnancy is not a critical factor affecting litter size and weight at birth or weaning in the multiparous sow.
(Received November 07 1984)
(Accepted June 10 1985)
Correspondence:
p1 Agriculture Canada Research Station, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, R7A 5Z7
