Effects of dietary restriction followed by high dietary energy  or protein on compensatory growth of Ashanti  Black × Large White crossbred weaner pigs.
The study determined the effect of re-alimenting dietary protein or energy on compensatory growth. Eighteen Ashanti Black × Large White crossbred weaner pigs (7.5 ± 0.30 kg) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments in a completely randomized design resulting in three replicate pens per treatment (n = 3) and two pigs per pen. In the first treatment, pigs were fed ad libitum a diet containing 12.0 MJ/kg of metabolizable energy (ME) and 14.4% crude protein (CP) (maintenance diet) for 56 days. In the second and third dietary treatments, pigs were fed the maintenance diet for the initial 28 days and then switched to a high protein (17.4% dry matter (DM) CP; protein) or high (14.0 MJ/kg DM; energy) diet for the rest of the 28-day period. Dry matter intake and growth performance were similar (P ≥ 0.52) among treatments during the first 28 days of restrictive feeding, but pigs re-alimented with the protein diet achieved superior (P = 0.004) DM intake, average daily gain (ADG), and feed efficiency than those fed the maintenance diet or re-alimented with the energy diet in the re-alimentation period. At the end of the entire 56-day period, pigs re-alimented with the protein diet had higher (P ≥ 0.01) live weight gains and ADG compared with those fed the maintenance diet or re-alimented with the energy diet, but DM intake was similar (P = 0.66) among treatments. It was concluded that re-alimentation with protein rather than energy can improve compensatory growth of Ashanti Black × Large White crossbred weaner pigs.
Weseh
W
Addah
Reuben Rudolph Kafui
RR
Dzewu
Benjamin
B
Alenyorege
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development*; D014886:Weaning; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
D004044:Dietary Proteins