Effect of pig weaning weight and associated nursery feeding programs on subsequent performance to 105 kilograms body weight.

Abstract

An experiment using a total of 210 crossbred pigs from two farrowing groups evaluated the effects of three weaning weights and their associative starter feeding program on subsequent postweaning performance to 105 kg BW. One group of pigs nursed their dams in outside heated hutches (Trial 1), and a second group was raised in a centrally heated farrowing house (Trial II). The three pig weaning weight groups ranged in weight from 1) 4.1 to 5.0 kg, 2) 5.5 to 6.8 kg, and 3) 7.3 to 8.6 kg. Pigs in Group 1 were fed a high nutrient dense diet (HNDD) for a 2-wk period followed by a corn-soybean meal-dried whey (C-SBM-DW) and then a corn-soybean meal (C-SBM) diet, each for a 2-wk period. Group 2 was fed the same diet sequence except that HNDD was provided for 1 wk, whereas Group 3 was provided only the C-SBM-DW and the C-SBM diets each for 2 wk, consecutively. At the end of the nursery period, pigs were fed C-SBM diet formulations to 105 kg BW. Pigs of Trial I averaged 5.2 d older at weaning than those raised in the central farrowing house, but only a 1.5-d difference existed between light- and heavy-weight groups in both trials. Gains and feed intakes for the three weaning groups were higher as weaning weight increased during both the nursery and the growing-finishing period. There did not seem to be a compensatory growth response for lighter-weight weanling pigs even though they had been fed starter diets containing milk products. Consequently, fewer days (approximately 15) were required for the heavier-weight weanling pig group to reach a final weight of 105 kg than for the light-weight group. The medium-weight group required an intermediate number of days to reach 105 kg.

Investigation of growth rate variation between commercial pig herds

“…Mahan and Lepine (1991) showed that pigs weighing from 7.3 to 8.6 kg at weaning (25.3 days old) reached a weight of 105 kg approximately 15 days earlier than pigs that weighed from 4.1 to 5 kg at weaning at 23.8 days, regardless of the lighter group being fed a higher quality starter diet than that offered to the heavier pigs. Miller et al (1999) demonstrated that the weaning weight of pigs in the 1st week after weaning was a significant predicator of subsequent performance, but Slade and Miller (1999) added that the significance of this factor reduced with time post-weaning.…”

Modeling performance and nutritional requirements of pigs lots during growth and finishing

“…(3PS) and the maximum was 23.74kg (1PS), with a variation of 2.05kg. Variations in age and weight at the beginning of the growing and finishing phases are determined by several factors such as weaning weight and nutrition program (MAHAN & LEPINE, 1991). These factors are difficult to control (TOKACH et al, 2007) and are accepted as a natural component of the process or disregarded due to their complexity.…”

Use of Cross-Fostering to Enhance Growth of Pigs That Are Predicted to Grow Poorly Based on Plasma α-1 Acid Glycoprotein Concentration

“…Neonatal pigs of an average litter birth weight but with the highest circulating concentrations of AGP will grow more slowly than littermates of similar birth weight [2] and have a different body composition after weaning [4]. Previous research has demonstrated that pigs that grow poorly to weaning will not recover and will reach mature weight later than littermates [5] [6].…”