Growth rate variability within a group of pigs leads to variation in carcass composition and inefficiencies in nutrient utilization. Variability is a significant challenge for the pork industry. Cost-effective feeding regimes are being developed to minimize the negative effects of variability on the producer’s bottom line. Pigs were separated into slow, average and fast potential growth rate groups by their growth rate in nursery. Rates of protein and lipid deposition as well as feed intake were comparable in all the groups in the late finishing period. Separating pigs based on potential growth rates is not an effective way to manage variability.
The Efficiency of Energy Utilization by Growing Pigs Selected for Potential Growth Rate (full article)
