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Relationship between Bodyweight and Chemical Composition of Pigs at Birth^{1, 2, 3,}

Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana

Abstract

Seventy-two crossbred pigs, six randomly selected from each of 12 litters, were used in a study investigating the relationship between bodyweight and developmental maturity of pigs at birth. Total body composition analyses were conducted. On a wet tissue basis, moisture represented 80.2±0.17% of the total weight; ether extract, 0.6±0.03%; protein (Nx6.25), 10.9±0.12%; ash, 4.0±0.06%; and potassium, 1.15±0.03 gm./kg. Concentrations of components expressed as portions of total dry matter were: ether extract, 3.2±0.13%; protein, 55.2±0.70%; ash, 20.3±0.21%; and potassium, 5.84±0.13 gm./kg. Correlations led to the conclusion that bodyweight is not positively associated with developmental maturity of pigs at birth as measured by chemical composition of the whole body. Potassium concentration was found to be related negatively with moisture concentration and positively with ether extract concentration in newborn pigs.

¹ Department of Animal Sciences, Journal Paper No. 2929.

² This research was partially supported by NIH Research Grant AMO-5551-03.

³ The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of Robert Ferguson and Linda Tsui.

⁴ Fellow, CIC Biometeorology Graduate Program.

⁵ Present address: Wisconsin State University, Platteville.