Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 September 2010
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.