title: Feeding value of grain sorghum for the lactating sow.
abstract: Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of a corn-soybean meal (C-SBM) and a sorghum-soybean meal (S-SBM) diet on reproductive performance and nutrient utilization by sows. In Exp. 1, 75 sows (39 gilts; 36 primiparous) were fed either a C-SBM or a S-SBM gestation diet from breeding to d 109. On d 110, sows were assigned to lactation diets; half of the sows from each dietary treatment were assigned to a lactation diet based on the opposite grain. Sow weight change from d 54 to farrowing was greater (P less than .06) for sows fed S-SBM than for sows fed C-SBM. There was no difference (P greater than .50) in weight change of sows during lactation. Feed consumption during lactation was greater (P less than .01) for sows fed C-SBM than for sows fed S-SBM. Litter size at birth and d 21 did not differ between treatments (P greater than .13). Litter weights at birth were similar, but litters of sows fed C-SBM gained more weight (P less than .05) during the 21-d lactation than those fed S-SBM. There were no differences (P greater than .30) in the number of days from weaning to estrus. In Exp. 2, the energy and N metabolism of the two diets was compared in 12 lactating, primiparous sows from d 15 to 20 of lactation. Dry matter digestibility, DE and ME percentages were not affected by grain source (P greater than .46).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Anim. Sci., University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583-0908.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Peo
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight; D004435:Eating; D002523:Edible Grain; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D008098:Litter Size; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D012098:Reproduction; D013025:Glycine max; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*; D015430:Weight Gain; D003313:Zea mays