Growth Performance and Weight Estimation of Large White Piglets Weaned at Different Ages

Abstract

The study was carried out on 24 neonatal large white piglets at the National Livestock Breeding Station, Pong-Tamale to assess their performance when weaned at different ages and to determine the relationship between linear body measurements and the body weight of piglets in weight prediction. The piglets were randomly weaned at three selected weaning ages (4, 6 and 8 weeks) but reared under uniform conditions. Initial body weight (BW), initial body length (BL), initial chest girth (CG) and initial height at withers (HW); were measured. Weekly measurements of the parameters were taken for 20 weeks. By the 20th week, piglets weaned at 8 weeks were superior (P<0.05) by chest girth (58.14 cm) and body weight (18.43 kg) than those weaned at 6 weeks (50.50 cm and 12.79 kg) and 4 weeks (52.61 cm and 14.56 kg). No significant differences (P>0.05) were recorded in the body length and the height at withers of the selected weaned ages. The chest girth was the best predictor of body weight, yielding highest prediction accuracies of 92.3% (at 5 weeks), 76.9% (at 10 weeks), 86.1% (at 15 weeks) and 87.5% (at 20 weeks). Conclusively, large white piglets grew better when weaned at 8 weeks, and chest girth could be reliably used to predict body weight in large white grower pigs.

Keywords: Swine, body measurements, linear, livestock, prediction

Cite this Article

Birteeb Peter T, Tetteh Isaac O, Salifu Abdul-Rahaman S. Growth Perfor-mance and Weight Estimation of Large White Piglets Weaned at Different Ages. Research & Reviews: Journal of Veterinary Science and Technology. 2015; 4(3): 15–23p.