The effect of energy intake on development and reproduction of gilts.

Abstract

680 Dutch Landrace gilts were fed diets containing 3.0, 2.5, 2.1 or 1.8 times the metabolizable energy required for maintenance for 26 wk beginning at 12 wk of age. Gilts not showing oestrus by 38 wk of age were hormonally induced. The number of gilts showing spontaneous oestrus, embryo survival rate, number of liveborn piglets per litter, av. piglet birth weight and homogeneity of the litter (standard deviation of birth weight within a litter) were not affected by energy intake. The number of liveborn piglets per 100 gilts in the litters conceived to insemination at the 1st spontaneous oestrus was 386, 399, 437 and 438 for the 4 diets resp.; when data for hormonally induced gilts were included, the corresponding values were 485, 486, 599 and 579, indicating that in terms of reproductive performance, when the diet contains adequate protein, there is no need to supply more than 2.1 times the metabolizable energy required for maintenance. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)