Journal of Animal Science, Vol 78, Issue 6 1556-1563, Copyright © 2000 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Consequences of different patterns of feed intake during the estrous cycle in gilts on subsequent fertility

F. R. Almeida, R. N. Kirkwood, F. X. Aherne and G. R. Foxcroft
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

The impact of different patterns of feed restriction between d 1 and 15 of the estrous cycle on subsequent reproductive performance of 23 trios of littermate gilts was tested. Some gilts were fed a high plane of nutrition (HH gilts) throughout the cycle, in contrast to HR gilts, which were restricted from d 8 to 15, and RH gilts, which were restricted from d 1 to 7. During feed restriction, weight gain in RH gilts (2.5 +/- .7 kg) was lower (P = .006) between d 1 and d 7 than in their HH and HR littermates (5.6 +/- .7 and 5.6 +/- .8 kg, respectively) and it was lower (P = .0001) in HR gilts (5.5 +/- .5 kg) between d 8 to d 15 than in their HH and RH counterparts (8.5 +/- .4 and 9.4 +/- .5 kg, respectively). There were no differences in backfat changes among groups. Embryonic survival in HR gilts at d 28 of gestation (68.3 +/- 4.8%) was lower (P < .05) than in HH and RH gilts (83.6 +/- 4.3 and 81.7 +/- 4.5%, respectively). Plasma progesterone concentrations in HR gilts were lower (P < .05) at 48 and 72 h after onset of standing estrus (.82 +/- .2 and 3.6 +/- .5 ng/mL, respectively) than in HH and RH gilts (1.44 +/- .2 and 1.24 +/- .2 ng/mL, 5.0 +/- .4 and 5.0 +/- .5 ng/mL, respectively at 48 and 72 h). No differences in ovulation rate were observed among treatments. Placental area was positively correlated to embryo size at d 28 (embryo size = .0003 x (area) + 18.35; r = .28, P = .03) but placental volume was negatively correlated to the number of embryos in utero (placental volume = -4.317 x (number) + 207.55, r = -.39, P = .002). These data demonstrate that the timing of feed restriction during follicular development has important consequences for subsequent embryo survival, possibly mediated by differences in progesterone concentrations in early pregnancy.

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