0
A total of 400 weaned pigs (31 gilts and 369 barrows) were used in a 20d growth trial. Pigs were distributed in blocks according to weaning weights (5.67 kg average) and randomly allotted to 1 of 8 treatments, where each pen contained 5 pigs, and there were 10 pens per treatment. Treatments included transition diet source (A, B, C, or D) and vaccination timing (0 or 8 d after weaning). The experimental transition diets were obtained from 4 commercial sources, and each diet was formulated to similar specifications and with the same ingredients but differing in their ingredient proportions. At weaning (d 0), each pen received 0.45 kg/pig of nursery diet, and diets were placed in the feeders at allotment. Transition diets were added to the feeders on top of the nursery diets and fed until d 8 (approximately 1.36 kg/pig). On d 8, feeders were emptied and refilled with a common phase 2 diets, which was fed for the duration of the trial in the d 20. Pigs were vaccinated intramuscularly with commercially available PCV2 and Mpp vaccines on d 0 or 8 after weaning. Pigs were weighed on d 0, 4, 8, and 20, and feeders were weighed on d 4, 8, and 20 to determine feed disappearance. From this data, ADG, ADFI, and F/G were calculated.
Diet source influenced (P < 0.001) ADG during the first 4 d of the trial. Pigs fed diet B had increased (P < 0.001) BW (d 4) and ADG (d 0 to 4) compared with pigs fed all other diets, and diet D pigs exhibited increased ADG compared with pigs fed diet C. On d 8, diet source effects remained significant for pig weights (d 8) as well as ADG and ADFI (d 4 to 8 and 0 to 8). Pigs fed diet A had increased (P < 0.01) ADG (d 4 to 8) compared with pigs fed the other 3 diet sources. Pigs fed diets A and B had similar ADFI, but their ADFI (d 4 to 8) was greater than that of pigs fed diets C and D. There were no effects of diet source from d 8 to 20. Pigs vaccinated on d 0 had lower (P < 0.01) BW (d 8), ADG and ADFI (d 4 to 8 and d 0 to 8) than pigs vaccinated on d 8. From d 8 to 20, pigs vaccinated on d 8 had lower (P = 0.05) ADG. Overall (d 0 to 20), diet source and vaccine timing did not influence growth performance, although pigs fed diet C had a numeric decrease (P = 0.06) in ADFI.
It is concluded that nursery pig growth performance is affected by diet source and vaccine timing immediately post-weaning, and these factors should be taken into account when managing weaning groups.
EM Kane, ML Potter, JR Bergstrom, SS Dritz, MD Tokach, JM DeRouchey, RD Goodband, JL Nelssen. 2008 Swine Day, Kansas State University. 14-20.
