Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/27394
Title: Feeding behaviour traits recorded during gestation are heritable even though feed intake itself is restricted
Contributor(s): Vargovic, L  (author)orcid ; Bunter, K L  (author)orcid ; Hermesch, Susanne  (author)orcid ; Athorn, R Z (author)
Publication Date: 2018
Open Access: Yes
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/27394
Open Access Link: http://www.wcgalp.org/proceedings/2018/feeding-behaviour-traits-recorded-during-gestation-are-heritable-even-though-feedOpen Access Link
Abstract: Data obtained from electronic sow feeders during the gestation period were used to investigate feed intake and feeding behaviour traits from 3785 predominantly (89.9%) F1 sows. Estimates of heritability, permanent environmental effect of the sow and phenotypic variance were obtained for seven distinct time periods during gestation for average feed intake (AFI), daily time spent eating (AFT), rate of feed consumption (AFR), the number of feeding events (AFE) and total born (TB) piglets. As expected, heritability estimates for feed intake traits such as AFI1-AFI7 were not different from zero, which can be explained by the restricted feed allocation (rather than ad libitum feeding). In the same time periods, heritabilities for the amount of time sows spent eating were low to moderate: lowest at the beginning (0.12±0.03) and at the end of gestation (0.16±0.04) and highest in the middle of gestation (range: 0.16 to 0.27). The same pattern was found for the rate of feed consumption. Further investigation of these feeding behaviour traits is warranted with respect to their associations with reproductive performance outcomes, given that they represent potential limitations to sows' ability to consistently meet their nutritional requirements over time.
Publication Type: Conference Publication
Conference Details: WCGALP 2018: 11th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Auckland, New Zealand, 11th - 16th February, 2018
Source of Publication: Proceedings of the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, v.Biology - Behaviour, 2018, p. 1-6
Publisher: Massey University
Place of Publication: Palmerston North, New Zealand
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 070201 Animal Breeding
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 300305 Animal reproduction and breeding
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 830308 Pigs
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 100410 Pigs
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: E1 Refereed Scholarly Conference Publication
Publisher/associated links: http://www.wcgalp.org/proceedings/2018
Appears in Collections:Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU)
Conference Publication

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