Effects of Creep Feed Pellet Diameter on Suckling and Nursery Pig Performance

Effects of Creep Feed Pellet Diameter on Suckling and Nurser y Pig Performance A. B. Clark 0 J. A. De Jong 0 J. M. DeRouchey 0 M. D. Tokach 0 0 Kansas State University , Manhattan , USA Part of the Other Animal Sciences Commons Recommended Citation - See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright January 2015 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. Contents of this publication may be freely reproduced for educational purposes. All other rights reserved. Brand names appearing in this publication are for product identification purposes only. No endorsement is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Effects of Creep Feed Pellet Diameter on Suckling and Nursery Pig Performance Abstract A total of 26 litters of pigs (PIC 327 × 1050; initially 7.1 lb and 10 d of age) were used in a 31-d growth trial to evaluate the effects of creep feed pellet diameter on suckling pig and subsequent nursery pig growth performance. On d 10 of the suckling phase, sows and their litters were allotted to one of two dietary treatments by parity and pig weight in a completely randomized design with 13 replications per treatment. Starting on d 10, pigs were fed the same creep feed formulation, but pelleted using either a 1/8 in. (small) or 1/2 in. (large) die. Chromic oxide was included in the diets as a fecal marker, and fecal swabs were taken twice a day on d 14, 17, and 21 to determine the percentage of pigs that were consuming creep feed. On d 21, pigs were weaned, re-allotted to nursery treatments for 21 d, and fed in two phases. Phase 1 (d 0 to 7 postweaning) treatment diets were the same diets as fed during the suckling period, with 50% of the pigs remaining on their previously allotted pellet diameter treatment. The other 50% of pigs were re-allotted to the opposite pellet diameter treatment in the nursery, creating a 2 × 2 factorial with the main effects of pellet diameter during suckling and pellet diameter during the nursery phase. A common meal Phase 2 diet (d 7 to 21) was fed to all pigs. During the suckling phase (d 10 to 21), litters of pigs fed the large creep feed pellet had decreased (P < 0.03) pre-weaning mortality and tended (P < 0.06) to have greater litter BW gain and litter ADG. There were no significant differences observed in pig BW, pig BW gain, litter CV, or pigs identified as creep feed eaters. From d 17 to 21 of suckling, pigs fed the large creep feed pellet had increased (P < 0.05) average daily creep feed intake. During the nursery phase, no interactions were observed for Phase 1 (d 0 to 7) when experimental diets were fed. Feeding a large pellet during the nursery phase, regardless of previous creep feed treatment, increased (P < 0.05) ADFI from d 0 to 4, 4 to 7, and 0 to 7. Pigs fed the large pellet in the suckling phase, regardless of pellet diameter fed during the nursery phase, had improved (P < 0.01) ADG from d 0 to 7 after weaning. Results from this study indicate that feeding a large creep feed pellet may be correlated with reduced preweaning mortality. However, there is no improvement on individual suckling pig growth performance or percentage of pigs eating creep feed between feeding either a small or large diameter pellet. Feeding a large creep feed pellet improved F/G for the entire nursery phase, and feeding a large nursery pellet increased ADFI during the first week in the nursery. Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Cover Page Footnote Funding, wholly or in part, was provided by The National Pork Board. K 2015 Effects of Creep Feed Pellet Diameter on Suckling and Nursery Pig Performance1 Summary A total of 26 litters of pigs (PIC 327 × 1050; initially 7.1 lb and 10 d of age) were used in a 31-d growth trial to evaluate the effects of creep feed pellet diameter on suckling pig and subsequent nursery pig growth performance. On d 10 of the suckling phase, sows and their litters were allotted to one of two dietary treatments by parity and pig weight in a completely randomized design with 13 replications per treatment. Starting on d 10, pigs were fed the same creep feed formulation, but pelleted using either a 1/8 in. (small) or 1/2 in. (large) die. Chromic oxide was included in the diets as a fecal marker, and fecal swabs were taken twice a day on d 14, 17, and 21 to determine the percentage of pigs that were consuming creep feed. On d 21, pigs were weaned, re-allotted to nursery treatments for 21 d, and fed in two phases. Phase 1 (d 0 to 7 post-weaning) treatment diets (...truncated)