Revista Computadorizada de Producción Porcina
Volumen 12 (número 1) 2005
Age of weaning and performance traits of piglets/Edad de destete y rasgos de comportamiento de cerditos
THE EFFECT OF AGE OF WEANING ON THE POST-WEANING PERFORMANCE OF PIGLETS UNDER A TROPICAL
ENVIRONMENT
J.C. Segura1, L. Sarmiento1, R. Santos1 J. Ly 2 and R. Santamaría3
1
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Autonomous University of Yucatán, Mérida, México
email: scorrea@tunku.uady.mx
2
Instituto de Investigaciones Porcinas, PO Box No.1, Punta Brava, La Habana, Cuba
email: julioly@utafoundation.org
3
Oficina Consultora, Mérida, Yucatán, México
SUMMARY
Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of age at weaning on the performance of piglets. In each experiment 240 pigs were
weaned at either 2 or 3 week of age and their performance was measured up to 70 days of age.
In experiment 1, there were not significant (P>0.05) differences from weaning to 28 days of age in body weight gain or feed consumption for
piglets weaned at 14 or 21 days of age. However, 14 days-weaned piglets had better feed conversion than the 21 days-weaned pigs.
Furthermore, 14 days-weaned pigs showed higher body weight gain, feed consumption and better feed conversion from 28 to 42 days and
from 43 to 70 days of age. However, only feed conversion showed a significant (P<0.05) difference from weaning to 70 days of age. In
experiment 2, there were differences in body weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion from weaning to 28 days of age, in favor of
the 14 days-weaned pigs. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) in using a pre-starter diet containing 25% lactose per two weeks or
two pre-starters diets: one containing 25% from 14 to 21 days and other with 20% lactose, from 22 to 28 days of age.
In conclusion, it is possible to obtain a good performance in early-weaning piglets fed on high digestible diets, containing dairy ingredients (e.g.
20% lactose) in order to replace the maternal milk.
Key words: piglets, age at weaning, performance traits
Short title: Age of weaning and performance traits of piglets
INFLUENCIA DE LA EDAD AL DESTETE EN EL COMPORTAMIENTO POSDESTETE DE CERDITOS EN UN AMBIENTE
TROPICAL
RESUMEN
Se llevaron a cabo dos experimentos para determinar el efecto de la edad de destete en el comportamiento productivo de los cerditos. En
cada experimento se destetaron a la edad de 14 o 21 días un total de 240 cerditos híbridos de un cruce comercial, hembras y machos
castrados en la misma proporción, y se midieron los rasgos de comportamiento hasta la edad de 70 días.
En el experimento 1, no hubo diferencias significativas (P>0.05) en la ganancia diaria o el consumo de alimento desde el destete hasta los 28
días, entre la edad de 14 y 21 días para el destete de los cerditos. Sin embargo, los
cerditos destetados a los 14 días de edad tuvieron una mejor conversion alimentaria que los animales destetados a los 21 días. Más aún, el
destete a los 14 días determinó mayores consumo de alimento, ganancia de peso y conversión alimentaria ente los 28 y 42 días y entre los 42
y 70 días, aunque este efecto solamente fue significativo (P<0.05) para la conversión alimentaria entre el destete y los 70 días.. En el
experimento 2, hubo diferencias en el consumo de alimento, la ganancia diaria de peso y la conversion alimentaria desde el destete
hasta los 28 días de edad, a favor de los cerditos destetados a los 14 días de edad. No hubo diferencias significativas (P<0.05) por usar una
sola dieta de preincio conteniendo 25% de lactosa durante dos semanas o dos dietas preinicio conteniendo 25 y 20% de lactosa durante la
primera y la segunda semana de este período respectivamente.
En conclusión, es posible obtener un buen comportamiento en lechones destetados tempranamente, alimentándolos con una dieta de alta
digestibilidad, que contengan productos de leche de vaca (e.g. 20% lactosa) para remplazar la leche materna.
Palabras claves: cerditos, edad de destete, rasgos de comportamiento
Título corto: Edad de destete y rasgos de comportamiento de cerditos
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Revista Computadorizada de Producción Porcina
Volumen 12 (número 1) 2005
Age of weaning and performance traits of piglets/Edad de destete y rasgos de comportamiento de cerditos
INTRODUCTION
In order to improve the production of both the sow and the
piglet, pig producers are always adopting new technologies.
One of these practices is the early weaning of pigs from 14 to
21 days of age. The benefits of early weaning are the
reduction of both presentation of diseases and pre-weaning
mortality (Harris and Alexander 1999; Harris 2000).
However, pigs weaned under 21 days normally require
specialized environments, more complex diets with a higher
cost and dictates better pigmanship and daily versus weekly
work patterns (Dick 1989). Therefore, most of pig producers
still weaned their piglets at 21 days using the conventional
diets, based on corn and soybean.
Undoubtely, weaning age and furthermore nursery diet
quality exerts a strong influence on subsequent growth
performance of piglets (see for example, Leibbrandt et al
1975; Nelssen et al 1995; Dritz et al 1996, 1999; Wolter and
Ellis 2001; Main et al 2004 amongst others). However, pig
producers argument that animals given the conventional
diets behave a compensatory growth during the growing and
finishing periods. However, advocates of the early weaning
argued that compensatory growth do not happens and that it
is possible to avoid the post-weaning delay, through the
administration of a diet with balance the cost and animal
performance.
Tokach et al (1990) and Stairs et al (1991) showed that the
compensatory growth expected using conventional diets did
not occur and that the addition of milk products in the starter
diet improved the piglet performance during the growing and
finishing periods. Furthermore, it has been observed the
benefical influence of lactose in starter diets on piglets
growth (Pierce et al 2004; O’Doherty et al 2005).
To our knowledge, there are scarce studies on earlyweaning pigs under tropical conditions, particularly in Mexico
(see for example, Gómez et al 1996). The objectives of the
present study were to compare the growth, feed
consumption and feed conversion of pigs weaned at 14 or 21
days of age.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Two experiments, 56 days in length and initiated at weaning,
were conducted to determine the effect of age at weaning on
piglet performance. The environment where the experimental
farm was located is tropical (hot and humid) with rainfall in
summer. The average maximum and minimum temperatures
in the region are 19 and 34C and 78% average humidity
(García 1988). In both experiments, 240 piglets (PIC [PB405
X C15], 120 males and 120 females) were housed in nursery
rooms prepared with 48, 2x4 m pens with cement flooring.
Five piglets were assigned to each pen, and this was the
experimental unit.
The estimated composition of diets is shown in table 1. The
diets were formulated to provide nutrient levels that met or
exceeded minimal requirements for 5- to 10-kg piglets (NRC
1998), with the source of nutrients being the major
differences.
In experiment 1, two treatments consisted of 120 piglets
each, weaned at 14 days or 21 days of age and given a prestarter diet (pre-starter A) from weaning to 28 days of age.
There were 24 replications per treatment (12 pens with either
males or females
Table 1. Ingredients composition of the experimental diets (experiments 1 and 2)
Pre-starter
Ingredients, %
A
B
C
Maize
33.53
44.58
51.81
Lactose (62.5 %)
40.00
15.00
Lactose (95.0 %)
7.90
8.10
Whey
4.00
3.00
Oil
1.10
Soyabean meal
20.00
20.00
27.50
Blood meal
3.70
4.40
Fish meal
2.00
CaPO4H.2H2O
1.90
2.30
2.20
CaCO3
0.90
0.90
1.00
NaCl
0.05
0.05
0.05
CuSO4.5H2O
Lysine 80
0.34
0.34
DL-threonine
0.25
0.29
DL-methionine
0.17
0.24
0.14
Antibiotics
0.10
0.10
0.10
Choline chloride
0.07
0.07
0.07
Acidifier
0.30
0.30
0.30
Flavouring agent
0.07
0.07
0.07
1
Mineral premix
0.10
0.10
0.10
Vitamin premix1
0.05
0.05
0.05
1
According to NRC (1998) requirements
Starter
61.35
34.50
2.00
1.30
0.05
0.05
0.02
0.10
0.07
0.10
0.05
0.10
0.05
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Revista Computadorizada de Producción Porcina
Volumen 12 (número 1) 2005
Age of weaning and performance traits of piglets/Edad de destete y rasgos de comportamiento de cerditos
In experiment 2, three treatments consisted of 80 piglets
weaned at 14 days and given a pre-starter diet containing
25% lactose up to 28 days of age, 80 piglets weaned at 14
days and given a pre-starter diet containing 25% lactose
from 15 to 21 days of age and a second pre-starter prepared
with 20% lactose from 22 to 28 days of age and 80 piglets
weaned at 21 days of age and given a pre-starter diet
containing 20% lactose.
Table 2. Che
After the 28 day of age, all piglets received the same prestarter up to 42 days and starter up to 70 days of age. There
were 16 replications per treatment. The main difference
amongst pre-starter diets was the lactose content.
Table 2. Calculated chemical composition of the experimental diets (experiments 1 and 2)
Pre-starter
Starter
Analysis, %
A
B
C
Crude protein (Nx6.25)
19.0
19.0
21.1
21.1
Fat
6.5
3.6
3.0
2.2
Lactose
25.3
20.0
10.0
Calcium
0.92
0.92
0.90
0.95
Available phosphorous
0.65
0.63
0.59
0.54
Arginine
1.16
1.13
1.35
1.46
Lysine
1.50
1.50
1.36
1.20
Methionine
0.52
0.52
0.46
0.36
Methionine + cystine
0.83
0.83
0.78
0.72
Tryptophan
0.25
0.24
0.27
0.26
Valine
0.88
0.71
0.83
1.03
Metabolisable energy, kcal/kg
3 432
3 313
3 250
3 148
Feed technology of feed supply is shown in table 3. The
main difference between experiments 1 and 2 was the use of
two different pre-starter diets from weaning to 28 days,
containing either 25 or 20% lactose.
Table 3. Feeding schedule of piglets
Age of piglets, days
Experiment
14-21/281
28/42
42/70
1
Pre-starter
Prestarter C
Starter
2
Prestarter A
Prestarter C
Starter
Prestarter B
Prestarter C
Starter
1
Weaning age, 14 or 21 days. See text for details
2
Express either 25 or 20% lactose in the diet. See text
for details
All data were analyzed using one way analysis of variance,
and means were compared by the Tukey's test (Steel and
Torrie 1980). The software package of SAS Institute (SAS
1994) was employed in all cases.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Experiment 1. There were not significant differences
(P<0.05) from weaning up to 28 days of age in body weight
gain or feed consumption for the pigs weaned at 14 or 21
days of age (table 4). However, 14 days weaned pigs had a
better food conversion (P<0.05) than the 21 days weaned
pigs.
Furthermore, 14 days weaned pigs had higher body weight
gain, feed consumption and better feed conversion (P<0.05)
from 28 to 42 days and from 43 to 70 days of age However,
only feed conversion showed a significant (P<0.05)
difference from weaning up to 70 days of age.
Table 4. Performance traits of piglets weaned at 14 and 21
days of age (experiment 1)
Age or piglets, days
14-21/28
29/42
42/70
14-21/70
Weaning age, days
Average daily gain, g
14
249
378a
606a
459
21
201
325b
578b
452
SE ±
8.64
6.94
3.71
4.68
Feed conversion, g
14
374
632a
1 064a
784
21
356
561b
1 015b
791
SE ±
11.45
11.61
6.52
8.00
Feed:gain ratio
14
1.52a
1.69
1.76
1.71a
21
1.92b
1.74
1.76
1.75b
SE ±
0.05
0.03
0.01
0.01
Final body weight, kg
14
7.48
12.77a
29.72a
29.72a
21
7.05
11.60b
27.79b
27.79b
SE ±
0.15
0.18
0.24
0.24
ab
Means with different superscripts differ significantly (P<0.05)
Experiment 2. There were differences in body weight gain,
feed consumption and feed conversion from weaning to 28
days of age, in favour of the 14 days weaned pigs. However,
contrary to experiment 1, these differences disappeared in
the subsequent growth phases (table 5). There were no
differences (P>0.05) in using a pre-starter diet with 25%
lactose per two weeks (14 to 28 days of age), or two prestarters diets: one with 25% lactose from 14 to 21 days and
other with 20% lactose, from 22 to 28 days of age (table 5).
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Revista Computadorizada de Producción Porcina
Volumen 12 (número 1) 2005
Age of weaning and performance traits of piglets/Edad de destete y rasgos de comportamiento de cerditos
Under the management conditions of this study and using
the diets described above, weaning of pigs at 14 days of age
did not show any detrimental effect on piglet performance.
Furthermore, it showed better feed conversion from weaning
to 70 days of age in experiment 1 and better performance for
all traits during the pre-starter feeding period. This is contrary
to previous results obtained by Leibbrandt et al (1975) and
by Crenshaw et al (1986), who found better performance
traits in piglets weaned at 3 weeks of age, if compared to 2
week-old weaned pigs. Crenshaw et al. (1986) results
showed that pigs weaned at 3 weeks gained faster,
consumed more feed and utilized the feed more efficiently
than pigs weaned at 2 weeks (P<0.01). However, this trend
is being reversed as better diets are being developed for the
early weaning pigs.
Table 5. Performance traits of piglets weaned at 14
and 21 days of age (experiment 2)
Age or piglets, days
14-21/28
29/49
49/70
14-21/70
Weaning age, days
Average daily gain, g
141
138a
450
606
430
142
139a
466
630
445
21
137a
422
611
447
SE ±
4.22
8.26
5.14
5.26
Feed conversion, g
14
274a
843a
1 105
740
14
281a
855a
1 104
743
21
238b
678b
1 080
766
SE ±
6.15
12.49
6.76
7.82
Feed:gain ratio
14
2.15a
1.88a
1.83
1.72
14
2.05a
1.85a
1.76
1.67
21
6.20b
1.64b
1.77
1.72
SE ±
0.12
0.04
0.02
0.02
Final body weight, kg
14
6.27
15.67
28.39
28.39
14
6.29
16.03
29.26
29.26
21
6.00
14.83
27.66
27.66
SE ±
0.12
0.22
0.23
0.23
1
Fed a pre-starter diet containing 25% lactose from 15 to
28 days old
2
Fed a pre-starter diet containing 20% lactose from 15 to
28 days old
ab
Means with different superscripts differ significantly
(P<0.05)
In conclusion, it is possible to obtain a good performance in early-
weaning piglets fed on high digestible diets, containing dairy
ingredients (e.g. 20% lactose) in order to replace the
maternal milk.
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Volumen 12 (número 1) 2005
Age of weaning and performance traits of piglets/Edad de destete y rasgos de comportamiento de cerditos
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