Modeling growth of pigs reared to heavy weights
type: CreativeWork
description: A series of studies were conducted to determine the relationship between live weight and growth performance measures of pigs reared to heavy weights in commercial facilities and to evaluate different methods of modeling these relationships. The first study was designed to develop growth curves of live animal growth performance and ultrasound measures for barrows and gilts from weaning to a pen mean live weight of 167.5 ± 3.30 kg. The results of this study suggested that instantaneous ADG peaked at 78 and 77 kg live weight for barrows and gilts, respectively, and decreased thereafter, instantaneous ADFI peaked at 115 and 121 kg for barrows and gilts, respectively, and decreased thereafter, and instantaneous G:F decreased quadratically as live weight increased for both genders. In addition, backfat depth increased linearly and Longissimus muscle area increased quadratically as live weight increased. A second study was carried out with 7 different harvest live weights for individual pigs within pens ranging from 113 to 181 kg to determine the effects of increasing harvest weight on overall growth performance and carcass characteristics. The results of this study suggested that pigs could be reared to heavier harvest weights with relatively limited impact on overall growth performance or carcass leanness. A third study was carried out to evaluate the growth of individual pigs within a pen. Barrows and gilts were housed in single-gender pens of approximately 153 pigs from weaning to week 10 post-weaning and pens with approximately 73 pigs from week 10 post-weaning to a pen mean live weight of 135.2 ± 0.76 kg. Pigs were weighed individually at birth and every 2 weeks from weaning to the end of test. The results of this study suggested that both gender and birth weight impacted the growth curves of individual pigs, that the within-pen standard deviation in live weight increased quadratically with increases in live weight, and that interim weights were relatively poor predi…
abstract: A series of studies were conducted to determine the relationship between live weight and growth performance measures of pigs reared to heavy weights in commercial facilities and to evaluate different methods of modeling these relationships. The first study was designed to develop growth curves of live animal growth performance and ultrasound measures for barrows and gilts from weaning to a pen mean live weight of 167.5 ± 3.30 kg. The results of this study suggested that instantaneous ADG peaked at 78 and 77 kg live weight for barrows and gilts, respectively, and decreased thereafter, instantaneous ADFI peaked at 115 and 121 kg for barrows and gilts, respectively, and decreased thereafter, and instantaneous G:F decreased quadratically as live weight increased for both genders. In addition, backfat depth increased linearly and Longissimus muscle area increased quadratically as live weight increased. A second study was carried out with 7 different harvest live weights for individual pigs within pens ranging from 113 to 181 kg to determine the effects of increasing harvest weight on overall growth performance and carcass characteristics. The results of this study suggested that pigs could be reared to heavier harvest weights with relatively limited impact on overall growth performance or carcass leanness. A third study was carried out to evaluate the growth of individual pigs within a pen. Barrows and gilts were housed in single-gender pens of approximately 153 pigs from weaning to week 10 post-weaning and pens with approximately 73 pigs from week 10 post-weaning to a pen mean live weight of 135.2 ± 0.76 kg. Pigs were weighed individually at birth and every 2 weeks from weaning to the end of test. The results of this study suggested that both gender and birth weight impacted the growth curves of individual pigs, that the within-pen standard deviation in live weight increased quadratically with increases in live weight, and that interim weights were relatively poor predi…
author: Shull, Caleb
language: en
keywords: pigs, growth, heavy weights
date published: 2013-05-24T22:07:58Z
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:25:34Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/44329