Hostname: page-component-6dbcb7884d-lhnfz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-14T08:32:21.483Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Diets for young pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

B. Hardy
B. Hardy*
Affiliation:
Dalgety Agriculture Limited, 180 Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol BS12 4TH
Get access

Abstract

In the United Kingdom, the majority of pigs are weaned at 3 to 4 weeks of age. Prior to weaning the main source of nutrients is milk produced by the sow. After weaning, suitable complete diets need to be given that are compatible with the physiological state of the digestive system and supply adequate nutrient inputs to achieve maximal growth with minimum digestive upset. The weaning process, however, imposes considerable stress on the piglet which frequently results in a retardation of growth, often accompanied by problems associated with diarrhoea.

The challenge to the commercial nutritionist and the pig producer is to achieve sufficiently high nutrient intakes to reach the maximum growth potential. Improved understanding of the digestive physiology of the weaned pig and better estimations of the nutrient requirements of genetically improved stock has led to the development of appropriate diet specifications. There is a perpetual need to reconsider the most suitable food ingredients to use in diet formulations to meet these nutrient specifications, due to economic circumstances. The food ingredients need to be highly digestible, extremely palatable and to contain no anti-nutritive factor or antagonist to the digestive process. The food form and method of feeding can greatly influence food intake post weaning. The piglet weaning weight to age relationship can also affect the subsequent food intake, growth rate and incidence of problems associated with diarrhoea.

There are continual changes and developments within the animal food and pig production industries that affect nutrition of the young pig. These include genetic selection for prolificacy, development of outdoor pig breeding systems, ‘green issues’ including welfare and use of food additives, use of enzymes and probiotics and improvements in food production technology. In the development of diets for young pigs all these aspects need to be considered in achieving an optimal solution in terms of nutrition, management and economics.

Type
Research Article
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 15 , 1992 , pp. 99 - 107
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 1992

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

Agricultural Research Council. 1981. The nutrient requirements of pigs. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough.Google Scholar
Aumaitre, A. 1972. Development of enzyme activity in the digestive tract of the suckling pig: nutritional significance and implications for weaning. World Review of Animal Production 8: 54–68.Google Scholar
Barber, J., Brooks, P. H. and Carpenter, J. L. 1989. The effects of water delivery rate on the voluntary food intake, water use and performance of early weaned pigs from 3 to 6 weeks of age. In The voluntary food intake of pigs (ed. Forbes, J. M., Varley, M. A. and Lawrence, T. L. J.), British Society of Animal Production, Occasional Publication No. 13, pp. 103–104.Google Scholar
Bertrand, G., Perez, J. M. and Quemere, P. 1980. Utilisation due pois proteagineux par la porcelet sevre precocement — influence de la nature de la cereale. Journées de la Recherche Porcine en France, pp. 215–225.Google Scholar
Bolduan, G., Jung, H., Schnabel, E. and Schneider, R. 1988. Recent advances in the nutrition of weaner pigs. Pig News and Information 9: 381–385.Google Scholar
Boyd, R. D., Moser, B. D., Peo, E. R., Lewis, A. J. and Johnson, R. K. 1982. Effect of tallow and choline chloride addition to the diet of sows on milk composition, milk yield and preweaning pig performance. Journal of Animal Science 54: 1–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, R. G. 1989. The nutritional management of weaner pigs. In Manipulating pig production II (ed. Barnett, J. L. and Hennessy, D. P.). Australasian Pig Science Association, Victoria, Australia.Google Scholar
Campbell, R. G. and Dunkin, A. C. 1983. The influence of nutrition in early life on growth and development of the pig. 2. Effects of rearing method and feeding level on growth and development to 75 kg. Animal Production 36: 425–434.Google Scholar
Cera, K. R., Mahan, D. C. and Reinhart, G. A. 1990. Evaluation of various extracted vegetable oils, roasted soybeans, medium chain triglycerides and an animal-vegetable fat blend for post-weaning swine. Journal of Animal Science 68: 2756–2765.Google Scholar
Chen, S. Y., D'Mello, J. P. F., Elsley, F. W. H. and Taylor, A. G. 1978. Effect of dietary lysine levels on performance, nitrogen metabolism and plasma amino acid concentrations of lactating sows. Animal Production 27: 331–344.Google Scholar
Cranwell, P. D. 1985. The development of the stomach in the pig: the effect of age and weaning. II. Acid and proteolytic enzyme secretory capacity. Proceedings of the 3rd international seminar on digestive physiology in the pig (ed. Just, A., Jorgensen, H. and Fernandez, J. A.), Beretning Statens Husdrybrugsforsog no. 580, pp. 116–119.Google Scholar
Dietz, G. N., Maxwell, C. V., Buchanan, D. S. and Luce, W. G. 1989. Alternative protein sources for the early weaned pig. Animal science research report, Agricultural Experiment Station, Oklahoma State University, MP 127, pp. 217–222.Google Scholar
Easter, R. A. 1988. Acidification of diets for pigs. In Recent advances in animal nutrition—1988 (ed. Haresign, W. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 61–71. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
English, P. R., Robb, C. M. and Dias, M. F. M. 1980. Evaluation of creep feeding using a highly digestible diet for litters weaned at 4 weeks of age. Animal Production 30: 496 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Fekete, J., Castaing, J., Lavorel, O., Leuillet, M. and Quemere, P. 1984. Utilisation du pois proteagineux par la porcelet sevre. Bilan des essais realises en France. Journées de la Recherche Porcine en France, pp. 393–399.Google Scholar
Fowler, V. R. 1980. The nutrition of weaner pigs. Pig News and Information. 1: 11–15.Google Scholar
Gatel, F. and Fekete, J. 1989. Lysine and threonine balance and requirements for weaned piglets 10-25 kg liveweight fed cereal-based diets. Livestock Production Science 23: 195–206.Google Scholar
Gill, B. P. and Taylor, A. G. 1989. Low glucosinolate full fat rapeseed meal in diets of early weaned piglets. Animal Production 49: 317–321.Google Scholar
Graham, P. L., Mahan, D. C. and Shields, R. G. 1981. Effect of starter diet and length of feeding regimes on performance and digestive enzyme activity of 2 week old weaned pigs. Journal of Animal Science 53: 299–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, S. 1989. A note on the digestibilities of nitrogen and amino acids in meat meals, skimmed milk and fishmeals in young pigs. Animal Production 48: 237–240.Google Scholar
Hampson, D. J. and Kidder, D. E. 1986. Influence of creep feeding and weaning on brush border enzyme activities in the piglet small intestine. Research in Veterinary Science 40: 24–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hirnmelberg, L. V., Peo, E. R., Lewis, A. J. and Crenshaw, J. D. 1985. Weaning weight response of pigs to simple and complex diets. Journal of Animal Science 61: 18–26.Google Scholar
Inborr, J. and Ogle, R. B. 1988. Effect of enzyme treatment of piglet feeds on performance and post weaning diarrhoea. Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research 18: 129–133.Google Scholar
Inborr, J. and Suomi, K. 1988. Industrial amino acids in diets for piglets and growing pigs. Journal of Agricultural Science in Finland 60: 673–683.Google Scholar
Kelly, D., Smyth, J. A. and McCracken, K. J. 1991. Digestive development of the early weaned pig. 1. Effect of continuous nutrient supply on the development of the digestive tract and on changes in digestive enzyme activity during the first week post weaning. British Journal of Nutrition 65: 169–180.Google Scholar
Kidder, D. E. and Manners, M. J. 1978. Digestion in the pig. Scientechnica, Bristol.Google Scholar
Li, D. F., Thaler, R. C., Nelssen, J. L., Harmon, D. L., Allee, G. L. and Weeden, T. L. 1990. Effect of fat sources and combinations on starter pig performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology. Journal of Animal Science 68: 3694–3704.Google Scholar
Lindemann, M. D., Cornelius, S. G., El Kandelgy, S. M., Moser, R. L. and Pettigrew, J. E. 1986. Effect of age, weaning and diet on digestive enzyme levels in the piglet. Journal of Animal Science 62: 1298–1307.Google Scholar
Madec, F. 1984. Computer monitoring. Proceedings of Society of Feed Technologist, pp. 183–192.Google Scholar
Mahan, D. C. 1982. Dietary calcium and phosphorus levels for weanling swine. Journal of Animal Science 54: 559–564.Google Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1991. Pig yearbook. MLC, Milton Keynes.Google Scholar
Nam, D. S., Aherne, F. X., Baidoo, S. K., Robles, A. and He, P. 1991. Is lysine:energy ratio important in diets of early weaned pigs. 70th annual feeders day report, University of Alberta, Canada.Google Scholar
Newby, T. J., Miller, B., Stokes, C. R., Hampson, D. and Bourne, F. J. 1985. Local hypersensitivity response to dietary antigens in early weaned pigs. In Recent developments in pig nutrition (ed. Cole, D. J. A. and Haresign, W.), pp. 211–221. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
Nielsen, N. C. and Larsen, J. L. 1986. International Pig Veterinary Society proceedings, Barcelona, Spain.Google Scholar
Okai, D. B., Aherne, F. X. and Hardin, R. T. 1976. Effect of creep and starter composition on feed intake and performance of young pigs. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 56: 573–586.Google Scholar
Partridge, I. G. 1989. Alternative feeding strategies for weaner pigs. In Manipulating pig production II (ed. Barnett, J. L. and Hennessy, D. P.). Australasian Pig Science Association, Victoria, Australia.Google Scholar
Patterson, D. C. 1985. The response of pigs weaned at 16 or 21 days to skimmed milk powder or its components in the starter diet. Animal Production 40: 535 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Pettigrew, J. E. 1981. Supplemental dietary fat for peripartal sows — a review. Journal of Animal Science 53: 107–117.Google Scholar
Phelps, A. 1987. Weaning weight determines the quality of pig starter feed. Feedstuffs 59: 11.Google Scholar
Shields, R. G., Ekstrom, K. E. and Mahan, D. C. 1980. Effect of weaning age and feeding method on digestive enzyme development in swine from birth to ten weeks. Journal of Animal Science 50: 257–265.Google Scholar
Sissons, J. W., Churchman, D. L., Heppell, L. M. J., Hardy, B., Banks, S. M. and Miller, B. G. 1988. Growth and systemic immune responses in early weaned piglets fed soyabean meal varying in lectin, trypsin inhibitor and undenatured globulins. In Recent advances of research in antinutritional factors in legume seeds (ed. Huisman, J., van der Poel, T. F. B. and Liener, I. E.). Pudoc, Wageningen.Google Scholar
Stranks, M. H., Cooke, B. C., Fairburn, C. B., Fowler, N. G., Kirby, P. S., McCracken, K. J., Morgan, C. A., Palmer, F. G. and Peers, D. G. 1988. Nutrient allowances for growing pigs. Research and Development in Agriculture 5: 71–88.Google Scholar
Tokach, M. D., Nelssen, J. L. and Allee, G. L. 1989. Effect of protein and/or carbohydrate fractions of dried whey on performance and nutrient digestibility of early weaned pigs. Journal of Animal Science 67: 1307–1312.Google Scholar
Whittemore, C. T. 1984. Nutrition of the sow and weaner. Proceedings ofColborn Dawes Nutrition Conference.Google Scholar