Selection for efficient lean growth on restricted feeding: 3. Sow Performance

Abstract

Two lines of Large White pigs were divergently selected for high and low growth rate over a 6 week period starting at 50 kg live on a fixed ration over a fixed time to test the hypothesis that this type of selection would exploit variation in the efficiency of food utilisation, associated with variation in lean relative to fat deposition. This paper reports a preliminary comparison of sow littering performance between these two lines High line piglets were significantly heavier at birth than low line piglets. Otherwise, there were no differences between lines in any of the littering traits. Food intake differences between the lines recorded for growers on ad libitum feeding were not carried through to sows during lactation.