Two trials with sixty-five sows indicate that severe protein restriction during gestation and lactation significantly impairs subsequent reproductive efficiency. The percentage of sows exhibiting oestrus, the average number of days from weaning to oestrus, and the average ovulation rate and uterine weights were significantly lower in sows fed a low-protein diet. Conception rate and embryo survival to 28 days were not significantly affected. The detrimental effects from protein restriction were more severe in younger gilts. Oestrus, ovulation and fertility were induced in non-cyclic sows fed the low-protein diet by injecting pmsg and hcg. Varying the dietary protein intake of gilts and sows during gestation has resulted in small differences in the litter size and birth weight of pigs.

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Twelve female swine were fed in a 3 X 4 crossover design metabolism trial corn-soybean grower diets that contained 0, 10 or 20% sewage sludge over three 19-day periods. The mean values for total digestible nutrients were 79.4, 73.7 and 55.0%; those for metabolizable energy were 3.36, 2.25 and 1.15 Mcal/kg diet; and those for nitrogen retained were 42.8, 44.0 and 25.3%, respectively. Sewage sludge (0, 10, 20%) diets were fed to 31 sows approximately equally divided into the dietary groups during their first two pregnancies, and to their offspring from weaning until market weight. More live pigs were farrowed and weaned per litter from sows fed 20% sludge diets than from the control group. However, 21-day weaning weights of pigs were lower from sows fed the sludge-containing diets. Offspring of both first and second litters fed growing and finishing diets containing sludge from weaning until market weight had decreased daily weight gains and feed efficiency. There were no increases in nine elements (Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, Cr, Cu, Mn, Fe and Al) in sow's milk or blood. Offspring of sows fed sludge diets showed increases of several elements in selected tissues at weaning and after consuming sludge diets until market weight.