| Abstract: | Thirty-five female Large White pigs were weaned at 14 days of age, penned individually, given a single diet and slaughtered serially at 25, 40, 55 and 70 days of age. A control group was fed to appetite throughout while three groups were subjected to feed restriction at various ages postweaning. For the periods 25 to 40, 40 to 55, 55 to 70 days of age pigs fed to appetite gained 321 (±19.9), 532 (±35.4) and 601 (±35.5) g liveweight day?1. Pigs restricted between 25 and 55 days, followed by refeeding from 55 to 70 days, gained 192 (±14.0), 169 (±44.8) and 508 (±81.0) g liveweight day?1; pigs restricted between 40 and 55 days, followed by refeeding from 55 to 70 days, gained 425 (±42.8), 409 (±49.6) and 480 (±70.1) g liveweight day?1. A group given 200 g feed day?1 gained 42 (±4.2) g liveweight daily between 25 and 70 days. Refed groups did not differ significantly from controls in their feed intakes for the period 55 to 70 days, either in absolute intakes or in feed intake kg?1 mean liveweight. Refed pigs grew no faster, and made no greater protein gains than controls of equivalent weight; however, lipid gains were elevated. |
