Abstract
Two studies were conducted to determine whether the amount of dietary energy fed to pigs of different weight categories influenced growth performance, market weight, and economic return in a commercial grow-finish facility. In Experiment 1, a total of 1,032 pigs with initial weight of 67.7 lb were individually weighed, fitted with electronic ear tags, and sorted into ten, 5-lb weight categories. Pigs were then allotted to pens lighter and heavier then the barn mean or to pens remixed to create a normal distribution around the mean. To complete the 2 × 3 factorial, pigs were fed corn-soybean meal diets, with or without 6% choice white grease. For the overall trial, there were no fat × weight-category interactions (P>0.15). Pigs fed 6% added fat tended (P 0.15) SD or CV of gain for the overall trial. For weight category, regardless of diet, heavy pigs grew faster (P 0.25). Pigs fed 6% added fat had greater (P 0.61) in SD or CV for ADG during the overall study. For weight category, regardless of diet, heavy pigs grew faster (P<0.02, 1.96, 1.92, and 1.94 lb) than either the light or mixed pigs, respectively. Although no interactions existed for growth or carcass data, there was a fat × weight-category interaction (P<0.07) for the financial response of margin over feed cost (MOF). Heavy pigs in both studies had greater (P<0.01) MOF than either light or mixed pigs; when comparing 0 and 6% added fat within weight category, however, the increase in MOF was greater for light pigs fed added fat than for heavy pigs fed added fat. These studies indicate that adding 6% added fat does not increase variation within or across a population. Because adding fat to the diets of lightweight pigs improves their growth rate, dietary fat can be used selectively in the barn to increase the weight of the lightest 50% of the pigs.
Highlights
The competitiveness of the modern swine industry dictates that feed, labor, and facilities must be used efficiently
Two studies were conducted to determine whether the amount of dietary energy fed to pigs of different weight categories influenced growth performance, market weight, and economic return in a commercial grow-finish facility
Pigs were allotted to pens lighter and heavier the barn mean or to pens remixed to create a normal distribution around the mean
Summary
The competitiveness of the modern swine industry dictates that feed, labor, and facilities must be used efficiently. During the marketing period of AIAO finishing facilities, the normal distribution of the population of pig weights dictates that lightweight pigs will be present. There are two methods to decrease the number of lightweight pigs without increasing days on feed. The first method is to reduce the amount of variation within the population. A second method is by increasing the growth rate of the lightest pigs, shifting this portion of the population to heavier weights. Our objective was to determine whether adding dietary fat could be used on the lightest 50% of the population in a finishing barn to increase ADG and economic return. The second objective was to determine if adding dietary fat influenced the CV for ADG within heavy or lightweight pigs
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