Allan Schinckel

Lactose is more highly digestible for pigs as pigs have lactase enzyme

We have lines of pigs selected for high and low soybean allergic response for 8 generations. a number of differences at genetic level.

reference for the publication ??

Also the much of the economic impact of variation is at the pork processor level. Increased variation in Carcass weight causes increased variation in the cut weights. The distribution of carcass weight with serial marketing of pigs from a barn ( for example 25 % -- then 25% in 10 days and the remainder in 15 days) results in a non-normal distribution carcass weights. If pigs BW's are close to norm ...

The sources of variation for birth weight and their relative importance varies from species to species. In pigs, the genetic variation is greatest for the maternal effect and not the direct genetic effect. The uterine environment is the largest source of variation. In beef cattle, the direct effect have more genetic variation. In humans, the maternal effect is largest and the sire has little effec ...

also the light weight piglets at birth are slowing growing (even at the same BW) and are less feed efficient (based on thousands of pigs with individual feed intake data). Light weight pigs less than 1.1 kg at birth can be 20 to 30 US dollars less profitable per pig than pigs with birth weights above 1.1 kg.. Light birth weight gilts in multiplier herds have lower probabiiity of research puberty ...

We have found that later BW's (168 d) or days to constant BW's (120 or 130 kg) to have linear-quadratic relationships with both birth and weaning weights. Also the BW gain the first two weeks after weaning is important. After birth, any management to increase the growth of the lightest pigs in the group can reduce variation. Each stress - disease - heat - social interactions from mixing etc, i ...

we have found both birth weight and weaning weight to be important factors for later BW's and also the ADG the first two weeks after weaning. Products that can increase the weaning weights of the lighter pigs will decrease the variation in later BW's. IN several data sets were have seen increased variation in birth weight as the total number born increased.

one part of the variation in growth to market weight is due to birth weight -- even if pigs had the same birth weight. over 80 % of the variation in later BW's (160 to 180 days of age) - would exist both due to variation in genetic potential (within and across litters) and random environmental variance.

in this paper Effect of weaning age on growth performance (Leliveld et al., 2013 ) were the pigs provided access to creep feed ? had the 4 and 5 week weaned piglets consumed creep feed or sows feed before weaning ?