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Influence of mixing on the initiation of piglet feeding and post weaning growth performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2017

F H Reynolds*
Affiliation:
University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
J M Forbes
Affiliation:
University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
H M Miller
Affiliation:
University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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Extract

Weaning is a stressful period for the piglet, invariably typified by low voluntary feed intake and reduced performance. Moreover, if siblings are separated and mixed with other litters, stress increases and the learned stimulus of the group to feed is disturbed (Brooks et al., 2003). This experiment was part of a larger investigation into the voluntary feed intake of the piglet in the immediate post weaning period. We investigated the difference between mixed litter origin or sibling groups on latency to initiate feeding and performance to day six post weaning. We hypothesised that mixing litters would increase latency to first feeding and reduce growth rate in the first few days after weaning.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2009

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References

Brooks, P. H. and Tsourgiannis, C. A., 2003. Factors affecting the voluntary feed intake of the weaned pig. In Weaning the pig: Concepts and Consequences (ed. Pluske, J. R., Le Dividich, J. and Verstegen, M. W. A.), Wageningen Academic Publishers, pp 81 – 111.Google Scholar
Tan, S.S.L., Shackelton, D.M. and Beames, R.M., 1991. Animal. Production. 52, 201–206 Google Scholar