New ideas in reproduction

摘要

In this edition of the Time for Change series, I want to concentrate on reproduction and discuss specifically some new ideas being investigated by the Pork CRC and the results of some recent experiments involving supplementation of gestation diets with the amino acid Arginine. Reproductive efficiency is expressed in many different ways from the number of pigs born alive per mated female to the number of pigs weaned weekly against a budget number. The latter is probably the best measure on a financial basis simply because it is the number of pigs weaned that determines whether sales budgets are likely to be met and after price the number and weight of pigs sold per sow per year is the biggest factor affecting profit.