Pig nutrition with special reference to early weaning

Abstract

Two phases in a series of experiments are described:

The first phase, comprising a number of preliminary trials, demonstrated the possibility of indwing oestrus in the sow during the nursing period by separating her from her litter for a period of twelve hours each day, and the possibility of establishing pregnancy in th© nursing sow.

The second phase consisted of an investigation into the growth and supplementary feed consumption of piglets whose dams were sated during the nursing period at the oestrus induced by Separation* A comparison was made with the growth and supplementary feed consumption of piglets reared naturally.

The growth performance of piglets managed under such a system of partial early weaning, as measured by the mean weight gain over the period between twenty-one and fifty-six days of age, ms slightly superior to that of naturally reared piglets However, a break-down of th© growth data showed the growth of piglets which were of medium to heavy weight at twenty-one days of age to be markedly better under partial early weaning than under natural rearing, and that of piglets which were of light weight at twenty-one days of age to be markedly poorer» In view- of the encouraging nature of th® results obtained in the present work, investigations arc continuing on a larger scale. It is hoped that results may be obtained from between ten and twenty sows and litters managed under partial early weaning, with a view to publication. Eventually, sufficient data may be collected on the long-term effects of partial early weaning on both sows and litters to enable a decision to be made as to whether the system provides an alternative to natural rearing superior to that provided by early weaning.