Publications by authors named "Denny McKilligan"
Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of sensory attractants pre- and post-weaning on the growth performance of pigs after weaning. For each experiment, treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of pre-weaning application (without or with), post-weaning application (without or with), and body weight category (representing the lightest or heaviest 50% of the population). In Exp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo combat the stress of weaning, we utilized novel gruel creep feeders to supplement suckling pigs with divergent soluble (n = 6 litters) versus insoluble (n = 6) diets compared with un-supplemented controls (n = 6). Post-weaning, pigs were fed a common phase 1 diet. Average daily weight gains of pigs fed soluble and insoluble creep diets were 53% and 17% greater than control pigs, respectively (p < 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Low feed intake in the first few days after weaning can lead to growth checks in pigs, with some failing to recover, which can cause health issues and death.
- Strategies to improve feed intake include creating an optimal environment, such as proper barn temperatures and resource availability, and using feeding methods like mat and gruel feeding.
- Research on pig preferences, such as coarse ground corn and larger pellet sizes, can help in formulating better diets that may enhance growth performance and minimize post-weaning challenges.
Article Synopsis
- Weaning in swine production involves significant stress that affects piglet behavior and feed intake due to their developing gastrointestinal, immune, and nervous systems.
- Implementing strategies such as weaning older pigs, providing creep feed, and allowing preweaning socialization can help reduce nutrient disruption and improve immediate feed intake postweaning.
- While these strategies show promise for improving piglet growth and reducing mortality, their adoption is limited by labor, cost, and logistical challenges in farrowing house adjustments.
A total of 710 pigs (Line 400 × 200, DNA, Columbus, net energy (NE)) were used in two experiments (Exp. 1: initially, 6.3 ± 0.
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