DIET PREFERENCE AND MEAL PATTERNS OF WEANLING PIGS OFFERED DIETS CONTAINING EITHER SPRAY-DRIED PORCINE PLASMA OR DRIED SKIM MILK

Preference tests and meal pattern analyses were conducted to examine t he feed intake response of weanling pigs to spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP). In Exp. 1, 36 weanling pigs (mean +/- SD; 6.2 +/- .8 kg and 2 6 d of age) were allowed to choose between a SDPP diet (8.5% SDPP, 20% dried whey, 10% lactose, and .13% DL-methionine) and a dried skim mil k (DSM) diet (20% each of DSM and dried whey) throughout 21 d postwean ing. Twenty-eight pigs preferred the SDPP diet and seven pigs preferre d the DSM diet. Preference for SDPP became apparent by d 2 (60% of tot al feed consumption) and increased (P < .01) to d 21 (71% of total fee d consumption). Average daily feed consumption was 371 and 172 g for t he SDPP and DSM diets, respectively (P < .01). The meal patterns of 16 weanling pigs (mean +/- SD; 7.2 +/- .3 kg and 26 d of age) offered ei ther the SDPP or the DSM diet were examined in Exp. 2. On d 3, 7, and 14 postweaning, feeding behavior was observed continuously for 18 h (0 600 to 2400). Time spent consuming feed and time between periods of fe eding were recorded. Although the difference was not significant, pigs fed the SDPP diet consumed 27 and 6% (P = .38) more feed than pigs fe d the DSM diet during the first 7 d and during the entire 21-d period, respectively. This difference was reflected in increased (P < .05) ra te of feed consumption on d 3 and 7. Diet had no effect (P > .10) on m eal size, the number of meals, or the percentage of time spent consumi ng feed. Weanling pigs prefer diets containing SDPP to those containin g DSM, and the increased consumption of diets containing SDPP may be d ue to greater palatability.