Search Filter
- Publications
- Abstract of Theses and Dissertations
- Database
- Feeding and Management Practices of Baby Pigs
Feeding and Management Practices of Baby Pigs
Dissertation Abstract:
Three studies were conducted to evaluate some sow and litter management practices. In study 1, 35 Large White and seven American Landrace sows and their litters were used to determine the production efficiency of sows and piglets weaned at 35 days old and given seven creep feed rations with different sources of protein from two to eight weeks of age.
Results showed that creep feed had no effect on the rate if growth of the piglets during the suckling period. It was found, however, that the weight at eight weeks old, feed conversion rates, feed consumption, and cost per kilogram gain in weight of pigs fed with 18 percent protein creep fed, the protein source being cooked soybean, were as efficient as those fed with creep feed with soybean oil meal, fish meal, and 15 percent dried skimmed milk as the sources of protein. These pigs were significantly heavier at eight weeks old than those in other treatments.
In study 2, 20 purebred American Landrace sows with the same litter order were used to compare the performance of adopted and legitimate pigs raised by the same sow to weaning age, Piglets raised by their own dams were significantly lighter in weaning weight than those raised by foster dams at 35 days weaning. Males had significantly heavier weaning weight between the progenies of sows A and B.
In study 3, three experiments were conducted to find out the effects of lincospectin and quixalud on the production performance of newly weaned normal and runty pigs. The normal pigs fed with a combination of antibiotic and growth promotant and the antibiotic alone as recommended by their manufacturers had significantly better performance in all production traits than those pigs fed with growth promotant alone. No significant differences were observed in feed conversion rate, gain efficiency, and cost per kilogram gan in weight of runty pigs fed with creep containing quixalud, lincospectin, and the combination of the two. However, pigs given creep feed with the combination of antibiotic and growth promotant had significantly higher weight gain, average daily gain, and feed consumption than those fed with creep feed containing growth promotant alone but not significantly higher than those fed with creep feed containing antibiotic alone.
No significant differences were observed in average daily gain, feed conversion rate, gain efficiency, and cot per kilogram gain in weight between runty Duroc and American Landrace pigs and between the two levels of lincospectin. The combination of one dose each lincospectin and quixalud is sufficient for growth of runty pigs from 3 to 25 kg live weight.