The effect of intake of supplementary food by the suckling litter upon weight gains and upon the energetic efficiency of the reproductive cycle

摘要

Summary Two experiments are described. The first was conducted in the summer with 10 first-litter sows, five of whose litters were offered creep feed from the age of three weeks. In the second experiment, conducted in the spring, 11 second-litter sows were used, five of whose litters were offered creep feed. The average milk and milk energy yields of the four treatment groups were: summer experiment-creep-fed group, 621 lb and 374 therms*; no-creep, 639 lb and 379 therms; spring experiment-creep-fed, 772 lb and 493 therms; no-creep, 813 lb and 514 therms. In both experiments the sows whose litters did not receive creep produced more milk over the last four weeks of lactation than the sows whose litters received creep feed. The sows in the no-creep groups lost more weight over lactation. The creep-fed pigs were on the average 11 lb heavier at weaning than those not receiving creep. The gross efficiency of milk production of the sows was not affected by treatment of the litters. It was estimated from the co...