Restricted energy intake and elevated calcium and phosphorus intake for gilts during growth. III. Characterization of feet and limbs and soundness scores of sows during three parities.

Abstract

Gilts that had previously been fed ad libitum or 75% ad libitum intake and 100 or 150% National Research Council recommended daily Ca and P from weaning to 100 kg were used in a reproductive study in which a 14% protein diet was fed. Foot and leg measurements, subjective toe scores and structural soundness scores were taken at each of three parities, 21 d postweaning. Sows previously ad libitum-fed generally had larger front toes than limit-fed sows; whereas, hind toes were larger for sows previously fed 150% Ca and P levels than sows fed 100% Ca and P. Sows previously fed the ad libitum-150% Ca and P diet had the largest toes. Front inside toes were larger than hind inside toes, but the reverse was observed for front and hind outside toes, with the magnitude of the difference between the inside and outside toes greater for the hind foot. Toe size increased over parities with the greatest increase from parity 2 to 3. Incidence and severity of toe pad and horn scores were generally unaffected by previously fed energy and Ca and P levels and were not correlated to toe size. Hind feet exhibited a larger number of lesions than front feet and outside toes exhibited a larger number of lesions than inside toes, with the hind outside toe exhibiting the greatest number of lesions. In general, incidence and severity of toe lesions decreased or were unchanged from parity 1 to 3. Structural soundness scores were unaffected by previously fed energy or Ca and P levels, but were quadratically affected by parity, with a small increase (poorer) from parity 1 to 2 and a large improvement from parity 2 to 3. Soundness scores were not related to any of the feet or leg measurements and characteristics. Restricting growth rate and feeding elevated Ca and P levels during growth had no effect on incidence and severity of lesions on the toes and overall structural soundness of sows kept for three parities.