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Effect of Feeding Frequency during Gestation on Reproductive Performance of Gilts and Sows¹

University of Illinois, Urbana 61801

⁴ From whom reprints should be requested.

Abstract

The crossbred females used in this two-parity experiment were fed a 12% crude-protein, corn-soybean meal diet as either a single daily meal of 1.9 kg or as an accumulated 5.7 kg meal every third day while housed in complete confinement, with no access to pasture. Experimental treatments were imposed from day 30 to day 109 of gestation. A 16% crude protein diet was fed ad libitum throughout a 28-day lactation followed by 1.9 kg daily from weaning to the time when feed intake treatments were reinitiated for the second parity. Gilts fed every third day gained less during gestation and farrowed fewer live pigs that tended to weigh less at birth than those fed every day. Maternal weight loss during lactation, litter size at weaning and piglet weaning weights were unaffected. Although sows - tended to gain less during the second gestation when fed every third day, no deleterious effect on reproductive performance was detected. Hourly milk and milkfat production measurements at day 7 of lactation revealed no significant influence of gestation treatment. Backfat thickness at the point of the shoulder and at the last rib, measured at day 30 and 109 of gestation and at weaning, increased during both gestations in animals fed every day but not in those fed every third day. Also, backfat decreased significantly during lactation in animals fed every day but not in those fed every third day. Although, reproductive performance was unaffected in second-litter sows fed 5.7 kg of feed every third day during gestation, the utility of this feeding regimen for first-litter gilts is questionable.

¹ Part of a thesis submitted to the Graduate College of the Univ. of Illinois in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree in Animal Science.

² Present address: F. M. V. uZ., Universidad Nacional A. de Mexico, Cd. Universitaria D. F., Mexico.

³ Dept. of Animal Science.

⁵ Present address: R.R. #1, Butler, IL 62015.