Pigs born light increase adipose tissue deposition following a restricted protein intake during early growth

摘要

Compensatory growth (CG) responses following a period of reduced protein intake have been observed in pigs, although the degree of compensation can be variable. It is possible that fetal development in utero may account for some of this variation, with pigs born at low births weights having fewer muscle fibers at birth than those born heavier (Hegarty and Allen, 1978; Handel and Stickland, 1984). As the number of muscle fibers is a major determinant of postnatal muscle growth, low birth weight pigs may not have the capacity to fully 'catch up' following a short period of protein restriction. As such, this study investigates whether birth weight will influence the CG response of gilts following a period of reduced protein intake during the weaner period.