Effect of liquid feeding and dilution on body weight and backfat thickness of sows | Efecto de la alimentación líquida y la dilución empleada sobre el peso vivo y espesor graso de cerdas reproductoras
2011
Viguera, J. | Aragonés, I. | Flamarique, F. | Arzoz, A. | Alfonso, L.
A total of 107 European-chinese hiperprolific gilts and sows were used to compare three methods of feeding: A) liquid feeding, 4,5:1 dilution, B) liquid feeding, 6,5:1 dilution, C) mash feeding. Sows were distributed evenly in the treatments and were fed ad libitum with a common diet in liquid or mash form, according to their treatment. Sows were weighed and backfat thickness (BT) were measured at mate, farrow, and weaning for two consecutive productive cycles, determining the increase of body weight and BT in gestation and lactation. Feed intake was also recorded. Sows on treatment A and B showed higher increase of body weight (BW) than sows on treatment C at first gestation, but no significant difference were found on BT or in lactation period. However, sows on treatment B had the less feed intake. On second gestation, no significant differences were found for increase of BW and BT, but sows on treatment C had more feed intake than treatments A and B. However, liquid feeding reduced weight loss and feed intake in lactation compared with mash feeding. Results indicate that use of liquid feeding improve body weight, reducing feed consumption and without effect on backfat thickness of sows.
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