Two 2 x 2 factorial arrangement trials were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of fat supplementation in improving the energy value of diets containing a high level of a fibrous feedstuff (oats) for growing-finishing swine. Corn-soybean meal-based diets were used that contained either 0 or 40% ground oats and either 0 or 3% added fat. Each trial used 120 pigs (27 kg) with each treatment assigned to five pens of six pigs each. Growing diets (.80% lysine for basal diet) were given from 27 to 55 kg live weight and finishing diets (.64% lysine) from 55 to 102 kg. Diets were formulated to a constant calculated ME to lysine ratio within the growing and finishing phases. Apparent digestibilities of DM and energy were determined for the growing and finishing diets by the indigestible marker (chromic oxide) method. The inclusion of oats in the diets resulted in poorer (P less than .01) feed conversion efficiency and reduced (P less than .01) apparent DM and energy digestibilities. The addition of fat improved (P less than .01) feed conversion efficiency but had no effect (P greater than .10) on DM or energy digestibility. The improvements noted for feed conversion efficiency were similar (P greater than .10) regardless of the dietary oat content. The 3% dietary fat supplementation was equally effective in improving feed conversion efficiency whether the diets did contain or did not contain ground oats for growing-finishing swine.

Summary ― A 2 x 2 trial was conducted to determine the effects of injected vitamin A and dietary level of vitamin E on blood serum and tissue concentrations of a-tocopherol during early gestation of gilts. Thirty-two crossbred gilts were fed a corn soybean meal basal diet supplemented with DLalpha tocopheryl acetate to provide either 25 or 500 IU of vitamin E/kg of diet. Gilts were fed daily 1.9 kg/gilt beginning 7 days before breeding until day 25 of gestation. Sixteen gilts were injected (im) with 350 000 IU of retinol palmitate 7 days before breeding, at the time of breeding (dO), and 7 days after breeding. Blood samples were collected on day -7, 0, 7, and 24, and all gilts were slaughtered on day 25 of gestation. Supplemental vitamin E at 500 IU/kg of diet increased a-tocopherol concentrations (P < 0.01) in blood serum in all tissues examined, including reproductive and embryonic, except fat. Vitamin A injections had no effect (P > 0.10) on blood serum a-tocopherol concentrations except on day 7 when a small increase (P < 0.06) was noted. Vitamin A injections had no effect (P > 0.10) on tissue a-tocopherol concentrations.