Journal of Animal Science, Vol 74, Issue 4 806-816, Copyright © 1996 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Performance and body composition of finishing gilts (45 to 85 kilograms) as affected by energy intake and nutrition in earlier life: I. Growth of the body and body components

P. Bikker, M. W. Verstegen, B. Kemp and M. W. Bosch
Department of Animal Nutrition, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Forty-eight commercial hybrid gilts were used to determine the effects of energy intake from 20 to 45 kg on the relationship between energy intake and weight gain of the body and body components from 45 to 85 kg. Two groups of 24 gilts received a single diet either at 2.2 (restricted) or 3.7 (control) times maintenance (M) from 20 to 45 kg. From 45 to 85 kg the pigs were fed the same diet at one of six intake levels (1.7, 2.2, 2.7, 3.2, or 3.7 x M, or ad libitum). At 85 kg, the gilts were dissected into organs, lean tissue (trimmed major joints), and other carcass parts (fat fraction). In the restricted gilts, body and lean tissue gain between 45 and 85 kg increased curvilinearly with increasing energy intake from 432 to 1,412 g/d and from 228 to 507 g/d, respectively. In the control gilts, body and lean tissue gain increased from 394 to 1,201 g/d and from 238 to 508 g/d, respectively. The percentage of lean tissue in the carcass decreased curvilinearly with increasing energy intake from 62.9 to 56.5%, and from 62.5 to 53.9% in the restricted and control gilts, respectively. The restricted gilts gained on average 140 g/d faster (P < .001) and their carcass lean tissue content at slaughter was approximately 3% higher (P < .001). These differences increased with increasing energy level between 45 and 85 kg. The increased gain was largely the result of an increase in organ growth and gut contents and was only evident up to 65 kg. The higher lean content at 85 kg in previously restricted gilts was not the result of compensation in lean gain but was already present at the end of the restriction phase at 45 kg.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. F. Oresanya, A. D. Beaulieu, and J. F. Patience Investigations of energy metabolism in weanling barrows: The interaction of dietary energy concentration and daily feed (energy) intake J Anim Sci, February 1, 2008; 86(2): 348 - 363. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. G. Wiseman, D. C. Mahan, J. C. Peters, N. D. Fastinger, S. Ching, and Y. Y. Kim Tissue weights and body composition of two genetic lines of barrows and gilts from twenty to one hundred twenty-five kilograms of body weight J Anim Sci, July 1, 2007; 85(7): 1825 - 1835. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Heyer and B. Lebret Compensatory growth response in pigs: Effects on growth performance, composition of weight gain at carcass and muscle levels, and meat quality J Anim Sci, March 1, 2007; 85(3): 769 - 778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. A. Lovatto, D. Sauvant, J. Noblet, S. Dubois, and J. van Milgen Effects of feed restriction and subsequent refeeding on energy utilization in growing pigs J Anim Sci, December 1, 2006; 84(12): 3329 - 3336. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Rincker, S. L. Clarke, R. S. Eisenstein, J. E. Link, and G. M. Hill Effects of iron supplementation on binding activity of iron regulatory proteins and the subsequent effect on growth performance and indices of hematological and mineral status of young pigs J Anim Sci, September 1, 2005; 83(9): 2137 - 2145. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. N. Weis, S. H. Birkett, P. C. H. Morel, and C. F. M. de Lange Effects of energy intake and body weight on physical and chemical body composition in growing entire male pigs J Anim Sci, January 1, 2004; 82(1): 109 - 121. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. S. Edmonds and D. H. Baker Effect of dietary protein fluctuations and space allocation on performance and carcass quality of growing-finishing pigs J Anim Sci, November 1, 2003; 81(11): 2783 - 2791. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Y. Whang, S. W. Kim, S. M. Donovan, F. K. McKeith, and R. A. Easter Effects of protein deprivation on subsequent growth performance, gain of body components, and protein requirements in growing pigs J Anim Sci, March 1, 2003; 81(3): 705 - 716. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. F. M. de Lange, P. C. H. Morel, and S. H. Birkett Modeling chemical and physical body composition of the growing pig J Anim Sci, February 1, 2003; 81(14_suppl_2): E159 - 165. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Fabian, L. I. Chiba, D. L. Kuhlers, L. T. Frobish, K. Nadarajah, C. R. Kerth, W. H. McElhenney, and A. J. Lewis Degree of amino acid restrictions during the grower phase and compensatory growth in pigs selected for lean growth efficiency J Anim Sci, October 1, 2002; 80(10): 2610 - 2618. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]