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Response of Nonpregnant versus Pregnant Gilts and Their Fetuses to Severe Feed Restriction¹

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, NE 68933

Abstract

Crossbred (Chester White x Landrace x Large White x Yorkshire) primiparous gilts were fed a standard gestation diet at 6,000 or 2,000 kcal calculated digestible energy (DE; 1.8 or .6 kg feed) daily for 84 or 108 (106 to 112) d after mating. Nonpregnant littermates were matched by body weight and assigned to the same diet treatments. Body weight and ultrasonic backfat measurements were made at 3-wk intervals. At 77 and 100 d, eight pregnant gilts (four control and four restricted) were fitted with indwelling jugular cannulas for frequent blood sampling (33 times over an 8-h period) to determine plasma glucose and growth hormone concentrations. At 84 and 108 d all gilts (eight pregnant and eight nonpregnant at d 84 and nine pregnant and nine nonpregnant at d 108 for each diet) were slaughtered and internal organs and reproductive tracts were removed and weighed. Fetal body and organ weights were recorded and an umbilical artery blood sample was removed from fetuses for plasma glucose, growth hormone, total protein and albumin measurements. The results demonstrated the ability of the primiparous gilt to maintain pregnancy through 106 to 112 d of gestation while consuming one-third (2,000 kcal DE daily) of recommended daily feed. Fetal weight at 84 and 108 d was reduced by about 13% without affecting litter size in gilts fed severely restricted intakes. Absolute and relative weights of maternal organs were affected by severe feed restriction, and backfat was reduced but there was no evidence of "pregnancy anabolism" in either adequately fed or restricted gilts. Fetal liver, kidney and gastrointestinal tract weights were reduced by maternal feed restriction; relative kidney weights were reduced while relative brain cortex weight was increased by maternal restriction. Maternal plasma glucose was unchanged by pregnancy or feed intake while plasma growth hormone peak amplitude, but not mean concentration or number of peaks, was increased by feed restriction. Fetal plasma glucose increased with time and in response to severe maternal feed restriction while plasma total protein and albumin decreased. Plasma growth hormone declined with time and was negatively correlated with fetal body weight.

¹ Agr. Res. Serv., Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Anim. Res. Center, Clay Center, NE 68933. The authors thank Wayne Peshek, Leola Lansford, Jenell Dague and associates for animal care and management; Pat Reiman and associates for feed preparation; Nancy Cook and associates for animal slaughter and carcass measurements; Dr. John Klindt for advice and assistance with growth hormone assay; Dan Roumen for technical assistance; Jim Wray and associates for data analysis; and Sherry Hansen for typing the manuscript.

² Univ. of Nebraska, Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Anim. Res. Center, Clay Center, NE 68933.