Location: Livestock Bio-Systems
Project Number: 3040-31000-095-003-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Apr 1, 2015
End Date: Jun 30, 2019
Objective:
The primary objective of this project is to determine the effects of dietary manipulation (amino acid level) on gilt development and sow lifetime productivity.
Approach:
Litter of origin information will be recorded for newborn gilts, including birth sow, nursing sow,parity of sow, immunocrit, birth and weaning weights, number born alive and number weaned. Subsequently, gilts will be fed three diets differing in SID lysine designed to result in differences in growth rate. Diets will be fed from 100 days of age until 220 days of age. At 160 days of age, gilts will be observed for estrous behavior and will subsequently be mated on their second estrus after puberty. Gilts will be weighed and ultrasounded on day 100 and at 28 days intervals until leaving the experiment at 220 days of age. They will then be followed through three parities, recording litter information at each parity (Sow, parity, immunocrit, birth and weaning weights, number born alive and number weaned).
