Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:57:26.987Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effect of nutrition on the reproductive performance of first-litter sows 2. Protein and energy intakes during lactation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. H. King
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
I. H. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
Get access

Extract

A factorial experiment involving high (53·1 to 59·5 MJ) and low (25·4 to 27·1 MJ) daily intakes of digestible energy, and high (550 to 745 g) and low (302 to 318 g) daily intakes of crude protein during lactation, was conducted with 68 first-litter sows. Average lactation length was 32 days, and average backfat changes during lactation were +0·3, −1·4, −7·2 and −5·4 mm for the high energy/high protein, high energy/low protein, low energy/high protein and low energy/low protein combinations, respectively. The corresponding mean live-weight losses during lactation were 3·9, 32·5, 29·8 and 35·8 kg. Within 8 days of weaning, more sows receiving high intakes of both energy and protein during lactation exhibited oestrus (0·88 v. 0·53, x2 = 6·7, P < 0·01) than sows whose energy and/or protein intake throughout lactation had been restricted. Nitrogen balances of sows were determined between 18 and 22 days after farrowing. Sows receiving high intakes of both energy and protein during lactation were in positive nitrogen balance, whereas the nitrogen balances of sows on the other three dietary treatments during lactation were similar to each other but negative. Ovulation rate, subsequent litter size and embryo mortality were not significantly affected by energy or protein intake during lactation.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1984

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. 1981. The Nutrient Requirements of Pigs. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough.Google Scholar
Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1975. Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 12th ed.Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Australian Pig Industry Research Committee. 1979. Australian Pig Manual. Australian Pig Industry Research Committee, Canberra.Google Scholar
Brooks, P. H. and Cole, D. J. A. 1972. Studies in sow reproduction. 1. The effect of nutrition between weaning and remating on the reproductive performance of primiparous sows. Anim. Prod. 15: 259264.Google Scholar
Hill, F. W. and Anderson, D. L. 1958. Comparison of metabolizable energy and productive energy determinations with growing chicks. J. Nutr. 64: 587603.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kielanowski, J. 1972. Energy requirements of the growing pig. In Pig Production (ed. Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 183201. Butterworth, London.Google Scholar
King, R. H. and Williams, I. H. 1984. The effect of nutrition on the reproductive performance of first-litter sows. 1. Feeding level during lactation, and between weaning and mating. Anim. Prod. 38: 241247.Google Scholar
O'Grady, J. F. and Hanrahan, T. J. 1975. Influence of protein level and amino-acid supplementation of diets fed in lactation on the performance of sows and their litters. 1. Sow and litter performance. Ir. J. agric. Res. 14: 127135.Google Scholar
Paterson, A. M., Barker, I. and Lindsay, D. 1980. Analysis of the reproductive records of an intensive piggery in Australia. Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. 13: 389392.Google Scholar
Reese, D. E., Moser, B. D., Peo, E. R. Jr, Lewis, A. J., Zimmerman, D. R., Kinder, J. E. and Stroup, W. W. 1982. Influence of energy intake during lactation on the interval from weaning to first estrus in sows. J. Anim. Sci. 55: 590598.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Snedecor, G. W. and Cochran, W. G. 1967. Statistical Methods. 6th ed.Iowa State University Press, Ames, la.Google Scholar
Spackman, D. H., Stein, W. H. and Moore, S. 1958. Automatic recording apparatus for use in the chromatography of amino acids. Analyt. Chem. 30: 11902006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, N., Watt, D., MacLeod, A. S., Johnson, C. L., Boaz, T. G. and Calder, A. F. C. 1979. The effect of weaning at 10, 25 or 40 days on the reproductive performance of sows from the first to the fifth parity. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 92: 449456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiseman, J. and Cole, D. J. A. 1980. Energy evaluation of cereals for pig diets. In Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition — 1979 (ed. Haresign, W. and Lewis, D.), pp. 5167. Butterworth, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar