Response of nonpregnant versus pregnant gilts and their fetuses to severe feed restriction

Journal of Animal Science
W G PondL H Yen

Abstract

Crossbred (Chester White X Landrace X Large White X Yorkshire) primiparous gilts were fed a standard gestation diet at 6,000 or 2,000 kcal calculated digestible energy (DE; 1.8 or .6 kg feed) daily for 84 or 108 (106 to 112) d after mating. Nonpregnant littermates were matched by body weight and assigned to the same diet treatments. Body weight and ultrasonic backfat measurements were made at 3-wk intervals. At 77 and 100 d, eight pregnant gilts (four control and four restricted) were fitted with indwelling jugular cannulas for frequent blood sampling (33 times over an 8-h period) to determine plasma glucose and growth hormone concentrations. At 84 and 108 d all gilts (eight pregnant and eight nonpregnant at d 84 and nine pregnant and nine nonpregnant at d 108 for each diet) were slaughtered and internal organs and reproductive tracts were removed and weighed. Fetal body and organ weights were recorded and an umbilical artery blood sample was removed from fetuses for plasma glucose, growth hormone, total protein and albumin measurements. The results demonstrated the ability of the primiparous gilt to maintain pregnancy through 106 to 112 d of gestation while consuming one-third (2,000 kcal DE daily) of recommended daily feed. F...Continue Reading

Citations

Aug 26, 1998·Annual Review of Nutrition·C D Wray-CahenN C Steele

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