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Feed Efficiency in Swine. I. A Comparison of Measurement Periods and Methods of Expressing Feed Efficiency¹

North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27607

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate different methods of measuring feed efficiency. The data were collected from 321 individually fed barrows, representing 62 sires.

Gain and feed consumption were measured during age (76 days) to weight (93.5 kg) (AW), weight (45.5 kg) to weight (93.5 kg) (WW) and age (83 days) to age (130 days) (AA) periods. Feed/gain (F/G), gain/feed (G/F) and average daily gain (ADG) were evaluated for the three periods.

Heritability estimates for F/G in AA, WW and AW intervals (0.52±.28, 0.77±.25 and 0.61±.25, respectively) were higher than those for G/F in the same intervals (0.00, 0.08 and 0.55, respectively). Further, the coefficients of variation were much smaller for F/G in the AA and WW periods. For the AW interval, the coefficient of variation for F/G was similar to that for G/F. Thus, the smaller values of the coefficient of variation and the larger estimates of heritability indicate that F/G is a more satisfactory measure of efficiency.

¹ Paper No. 3891 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina State University Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh.

² Present address: Institute Nacional de Investigaciones Pecuarias, S.A.G., Km. 15.5 Carr. México-Toluca, México 10, D.F.

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