The experiment reported here was conducted to determine what effect one-feed flushing and energy level during the first third of gestation had on reproductive performance

Rich, Travis D.

Wachholz, Duanne E.

Wahlstrom, Richard C.

English

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South Dakota State UniversityOpen PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information ExchangeSouth Dakota Swine Field Day Proceedings andResearch Reports, 1971 Animal Science Reports1971The Effects of One Day Flushing and EarlyGestation Energy Levels on ReproductivePerformance of GiltsDuanne E. WachholzSouth Dakota State UniversityTravis D. RichRichard C. WahlstromFollow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/sd_swine_1971This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Animal Science Reports at Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in South Dakota Swine Field Day Proceedings and Research Reports, 1971 byan authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For moreinformation, please contact michael.biondo@sdstate.edu.Recommended CitationWachholz, Duanne E.; Rich, Travis D.; and Wahlstrom, Richard C., "The Effects of One Day Flushing and Early Gestation EnergyLevels on Reproductive Performance of Gilts" (1971). South Dakota Swine Field Day Proceedings and Research Reports, 1971. Paper 9.http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/sd_swine_1971/9South Dakota State Univers i ty Brookings , South Dakota Department of Animal Science Agricultural Experiment Station A.S. Series 71-37 The Effects of One Day Flushing and Early Ges tation Energy Levels on Reproductive Performance of Gilts Duane E. Wachholz , Travis D. Rich and Richard C. Wahls trom Li tter size at birth is a function of ovulation rate , ferti li zation rate and embryo survival during ges tation. Nutri tion has li ttle , if any , effect upon fertili zation. However ,  it has been demons trated to have a large influence on ovulation rate and embryo survival. Flushing , feeding high energy levels for short periods of time preceding heat , has been shown to increase ovulation rate; but if this high energy level is continued after b reeding a decrease in embryo survival prevails. There is l imi ted evidence whi ch sugges ts that a one-feeding flushing period may increase ovulation rate wi thout increasing emb ryonic death. Low levels of energy fed during ges tation have been shown to result in reduc­tions in daily gain,  b irth weigh t and 21-day weight of offspring. Other trials have shown that a low nutrient intake following mating and an increased intake during the las t  third of ges tation resulted in a higher percent embryonic survival and more live pigs per li tter. The experiment reported here was conducted to determine what effect one-feed flushing and energy level during the firs t third of ges tation had on reproductive performance. Experimental Procedures Thirty-two crossb red gilts which had been fed ad lib i tum until they reached 210 lb. of body weigh t were fed 4 lb. of a 16% protein diet per day until they reached approximately 10 months of age. At this time , gilts were checked for heat daily for one es trus cycle , then checked twice daily , and bred at the firs t s ign of heat and again 24 hours later to s exually mature boars. At the time of breeding , gilts were divided into two groups--one group received 4 lb. of feed (1 , 465 Kcal./lb.) approximately 12 hours after breeding and the other group received 8 lb. of feed (1 , 465 Kcal./lb.) approximately 12 hours after breeding. These two groups were then subdivided so that one-half of the gilts received 5 , 850 Kcal. of metaboli zable energy (M.E.) per day , considered a normal energy level , and the other half of the gilts received a lower energy level of 3 , 000 Kcal. M.E. per day during the firs t third of the ges tation period. After 35 days of ges tation , all gilts were weighed and placed on 5 , 850 Kcal. M.E. per day for the remainder of the ges tation period. At 110 days of ges tation , gilts were weighed and placed into farrowing crates. During the lactation period , all gilts received 12 lb. of lactation diet per day. The composi tion of the ges tation and lactation die ts is shown in tab le 1. The ab ove design resulted in four treatments: Treatment A ,  nonflushed and normal energy; Treatment B ,  nonflushed and low energy; Treatment C ,  flushed and normal energy; and Treatment D ,  flushed and low energy. 3 1  • 1 Results A summary of the effe ct of flushing and early ges tation energy levels on reproduction and pig p erformance to weaning is shown by treatment in table 2. The effects of flushing are s ummari zed in table 3 and the effects of energy intake the firs t 35 days of ges tation are summarized in table 4 .  Six of the 32 gilts that were b red did not conceive. Three of these were in the nonflushed , low energy group , two were in the flushed , low energy group and one was in the group that was f lushed and received the normal energy diet during the firs t 35 days of ges­tation. A level of 3 , 000 Kcal. of M.E. per day did not qui te maintain the weigh t  o f  gilts during the early ges tation period. The two groups o f  gi lts fed this energy level los t  an average of 1.0 and 3.5 lb. during this 35-day p eriod. Gil ts fed 5 , 850 Kcal. of M.E. gained an average of approximately 26 lb. during this same period. At farrowing time there was s till a difference of about 20 lb. in weigh t  between these two groups. Total ges tation gain averaged 107 and 87 lb. for the gilts receiving the normal and low energy treatments , respectively. Flushing , feeding 8 lb. of feed at a single feeding 12 hours a f ter breeding , compared to the control feeding of 4 lb. of feed did not affect the number of total or live pigs farrowed , pig b irth weigh t or number and weigh t  of pigs weaned at 21 days. The number of pigs farrowed (total and live) and pig b irth weigh t were s imilar when gilts were fed ei ther 3 , 000 or 5 , 850 Kcal. of M.E. daily for the first 35 days of ges tation. However , gi lts fed the lower energy level during early ges tation weaned only 66% of those pigs b orn live while the gilts fed the higher energy level weaned approximately 82% of their pigs. Summary Thirty-two crossb red gilts were allotted to one of four treatments at b reeding. One-half of the gi lts were flushed for one feeding 12 hours after breeding (8 lb. of feed) , while the other hal f received 4 lb. of feed. These two groups were further divided into two groups , one-half receiving 5 , 850 Kcal. M.E. per day and the other half receiving 3 , 000 Kcal. M.E. per day during the firs t one- third of ges tation. No differences between treatments were found for number of pigs b orn ,  average b irth weight or average 21-day weigh t ,  but the normal energy treatment had an advantage in number of pigs weaned. Flushing vs. nonflushing showed no dif ferences in any reproductive cri teria measured. Normal energy vs. low energy showed no differences in any cri teria measured except weigh t  gain to 35 days of ges tation and number of pigs weaned , which were higher for the normal energy treatment • 32 Ground corn Soybean meal (44%) Soybean meal (50%) - 3 -Table 1. Composi tion of Die ts 560 420 Dehydrated alfalfa meal (17%) 960 Dried beef pulp Dicalcium phosphate 45 Limes tone T.M. s alt (Hi zinc) 10 Vi tamin premix a 1995 Lactati on 1 , 560 1 , 370 380 360 200 20 40 30 16 10 10 a b ----2000 1996 a Provided 3 , 064 , 500 I .U .  vi tamin A ,  356 , 000 I .U .  vi tamin D ,  2.4 gm. riboflavin, 9. 3 gm. calcium pantothenate , 20.5 gm. niacin and 10 mg. vi tamin B12 per ton. b Provided s ame as above plus 100 gm. of aureomycin per ton. 33 i I 1. , - 4 -Table 2. Effects of Treatment on Reproductive Performance Treatment A Treatment B Treatment c Nonf lushed Nonflushed Flushed and and and normal low normal energy energy energy Number of gilts bred 8 8 8 Numb er of gilts p regnant 8 5 7 Weight at breeding , lb. 318. 3 315 . 2  312. 4 Weight gain during first 25. 6 -1. 0 26. 7  third of gestation, lb. Weight at farrowing, lb. 426 . 3  404.8 418. 3 Numb er of pigs born live 10. 1 11. 4 11. 3 Numb er of s tillborn pigs 0. 4 0. 6 0. 1 Total number of pigs b orn 10. 5 12. 0 11. 4 Average b irth weight, lb. 2. 9 2.7 2. 8 Numb er of pigs weaned 8. 2 7. 6 9. 4 Average 21-day weight, lb. 9. 9 11. 0 9. 9 Percent weaned of those 80. 25 66. 67 83. 54 born live 34 Treatment D Flushed and low energy 8 6 313. 0 -3. 5 396. 2 9. 7 0.5 10 .2 2. 8 6. 3 10 . 6  65. 52 - 5 -Table 3. Effects of Flushing on Reproductive Performance Nonflushed Flushed 4 lb. feed 8 lb. feed 12 hours 12 hours after after b reeding breeding Number of gilts b red 16 16 Number of gilts p regnant 13 13 Weigh t  a t  breeding , lb. 317 .1 312.7 Weight gain during first third 15.4 12.8 of ges tation , lb. Weight at farrowing , lb. 418.0 408.1 Number of pigs b orn live 1 0.6 10.5 Numb er of s tillb orn p igs 0 . 5  0.3 Total numb er of pigs b orn 11.1 10.8 Average birth wei ght , lb. 2.8 2.8 Number of pigs weaned 7.9 8.0 Average 21-day weight , lb. 10.4 10.1 Percent weaned of those b orn live 74.64 75 .91 3 5  I I : !  k .i .... - 6 -Table 4. Effects of Energy on Reproductive Performance Normal energy Low energy (5, 850 Kcal./day) (3, 000 Kcal./day) Numb er of gilt s  bred 16 16 Numb er of gilts p regnant 15 11 Weigh t  a t  b reeding , lb. 315 .5 314.0 Weight gain during firs t third 26.1 -2.4 of ges tation ,  lb. Weight at farrowing , lb . 422.5 400.1 Numb er of pigs b orn live 10.7 10.5 Number of s tillb orn pigs 0.3 0.6 Total numb er of pigs born 11.0 11.1 Average b irth weigh t ,  lb . 2.9 2.8 Number of pigs weaned 8.7 6.9 Average 21-day weigh t ,  lb. 9.9 10.8 Percent weaned of those born live 81.88 66.09 36 

The Effects of One Day Flushing and Early Gestation Energy Levels on Reproductive Performance of Gilts

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&amp;context=sd_swine_1971

The Effects of One Day Flushing and Early Gestation Energy Levels on Reproductive Performance of Gilts

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