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Effects of Pregnancy and Lactation on the Body Composition of First-Litter Female Swine^{1 ,2,}

The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and The Ohio State University, Wooster 44691

⁴ Reprint requests: Dept. of Anim. Sci., The Ohio Agr. Res. and Dev. Center, Wooster.

Abstract

A total of 64 gilts initially weighing 120 kg were used to evaluate body composition occurring during pregnancy and lactation. All animals were fed a 14% protein corn-soybean meal diet. Eight gilts were slaughtered each at breeding, 57 and 105 d postcoitum and at 5 and 25 d postpartum, with a corresponding number of nongravid females killed at similar periods except at 5 d postpartum. Chemical composition of the empty body (ingesta-free) and maternal body (empty body minus reproductive products) was determined. Gravid gilts were heavier with larger quantities of water, protein and fat than nongravid gilts by the termination of pregnancy, but these differences were attributable to the products of conception. After the reproductive tissue components were subtracted, no indication of pregnancy anabolism was evident. Hydration in gravid swine was evident at 105 d postcoitum but was attributed to the higher water contribution from conceptus products, not maternal tissue. Maternal body fat appeared to fluctuate during gestation and lactation, whereas body protein and ash content were less affected. Both the empty body and maternal body contained appromimately 83.5% protein and 16.5% ash when expressed on a fat-free dry basis, suggesting that compositional changes during reproduction largely reflect water and fat content changes in the dam's body. Carcass measurements generally reflected body compositonal data.

¹ Approved for publication as Journal article 145-81 of the Ohio Agr. Res. and Dev. Center and The Ohio State Univ., Wooster.

² Appreciation is expressed to T. Hartman, D. Hickman and P. Graham for help in data collection; to P. G. Althouse for assistance in carcass evaluation and to Dr. J. Holman for statistical analysis.

³ Present address: Farmland Industries, 103 West 26th Ave., North Kansas City, MO 64116.