Impact of daily fluctuations in food intake on the performance and body composition of female pigs

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

2005

Conference Title

Tenth Biennial Conference of the Australasian Pig Science Association

Place of Publication

Christchurch

ISBN

978-0-9806880-4-7

ISSN

1324-9177

Keywords

pigs, swine

Disciplines

Meat Science

Abstract

Variation in performance and carcass quality is a major problem for the pig industry (Payne et al., 1999) and Edwards (1999) has suggested that some of the variation may be related to daily fluctuations in nutrient intake caused by, for example, competition for feeder space and blocked feeders. Edwards (1999) suggested that when feed intake is sub-optimal maximum protein deposition rates are not achieved and a greater proportion of nutrients are lost to maintenance. However, when intake is above the optimal level then protein deposition is maximised, but excess nutrients are directed to fat deposition. The AUSPIG simulation model was used to predict the impact of restricting feed intake to grower pigs to 36% of normal intake (0.76 vs. 2.09 kg/d), followed by a day of engorgement (3.42 kg/d), with this pattern being repeated on a daily basis (Edwards, 1999). Fat deposition was predicted to increase from 194 to 236 g/d while protein deposition was predicted to decline from 155 to 90 g/d. The hypothesis for this experiment was, therefore, that the fat to lean ratio of pigs at slaughter would be higher for animals that had experienced short-term fluctuations in nutrient intake

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