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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #350309
Research Project: Improving Lifetime Productivity in Swine

Location: Livestock Bio-Systems

Title: Optimal dietary energy and protein for gilt development: Age at puberty, ovulation rate, and reproductive tract traits

Author
item CALDERON DIAZ, JULIA - Iowa State University
item Vallet, Jeff
item Lents, Clay
item Nonneman, Danny - Dan
item Miles, Jeremy
item Wright, Elane
item Rempel, Lea
item Cushman, Robert - Bob
item Freking, Bradley - Brad
item Rohrer, Gary
item PHILLIPS, CHRISTINA - Murphy Brown Llc
item DEDECKER, ASHLEY - Murphy Brown Llc
item FOXCROFT, GEORGE - University Of Alberta
item STALDER, KENNETH - Iowa State University

Submitted to: Iowa State University Animal Industry Report
Publication Type: Research Technical Update
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2015
Publication Date: 3/2/2015
Citation: Calderon Diaz, J.A., Vallet, J.L., Lents, C.A., Nonneman, D.J., Miles, J.R., Wright-Johnson, E.C., Rempel, L.A., Cushman, R.A., Freking, B.A., Rohrer, G.A., Phillips, C., Dedecker, A., Foxcroft, G., Stalder, K.J. 2015. Optimal dietary energy and protein for gilt development: Age at puberty, ovulation rate, and reproductive tract traits. Iowa State University Animal Industry Report. AS 661(ASL R3022). Available: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/asn_air/vol661/iss1/85.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The effect of feeding different lysine and metabolizable energy (ME) levels to 1221 crossbred Large White × Landrace developing gilts housed in groups from 100 d of age until slaughter (approximately 260 d of age) on age at puberty and reproductive tract measurements were evaluated. Gilts were randomly allotted to six corn-soybean diets formulated to provide two standardized ileal digestible lysine levels [100% (high, HL) and 85% (low, LL)] and threemetabolizable energy levels [ME, 90% (low, LME), 100% (medium, MME), 110% (high, HME). Average age at puberty was 193 d of age. There were no effects of the dietary treatments on age at puberty or any of the reproductive tract measurements. Despite significant differences in the lysine:energy ratio in the diets, the expected differences in reproductive traits were not observed. Other factors such as body weight (BW) and days of estrous cycle had a greater effect on the traits recorded than feed provided.