H. Everts et Ra. Dekker, EFFECT OF PROTEIN SUPPLY DURING PREGNANCY AND LACTATION ON BODY-COMPOSITION OF SOWS DURING 3 REPRODUCTIVE-CYCLES, Livestock production science, 43(2), 1995, pp. 137-147
Changes in chemical body composition during three reproductive cycles
were investigated in a study involving two levels of nitrogen during p
regnancy (diet C or L) and lactation (diet C or H). N contents in the
diets C, L and H were 28.5, 19.3 and 32.8 g N . kg DM(-1), respectivel
y. Tested combinations of pregnancy treatment (first character) and la
ctation treatment (second character) were: CC, CH, LC and LH. Treatmen
ts had no effect on litter gain during lactation nor on the amount of
body protein after three reproductive cycles. After the third weaning,
the water/protein ratio was higher on pregnancy treatment L_ than on
C_ and the amounts of fat, dry matter and energy in the body were lowe
r on lactation treatment _H than on _C. Equations to predict body comp
osition of sows using live weight and backfat thickness (P2) were used
to assess body composition during three reproductive cycles. The lowe
r retention of protein during the first reproductive cycle on pregnanc
y treatment L was not completely compensated in the next two cycles. A
feeding level of about 440 kg . sow(-1) per reproductive cycle (pregn
ancy+lactation) increased live weight and the amounts of protein, wate
r and energy in the body and decreased backfat thickness. The amount o
f fat hardly changed.