Two experiments involving 288 pigs were conducted to determine the effects of shortterm feed restriction during the growing period on average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed consumption, feed required/unit of gain (F/G), age at 100 kg and average backfat depth at 100 kg. Pigs were fed 100, 85 or 70% of ad libitum consumption for 2or 4-wk periods in Exp. 1 and 100 or 85% for 2or 4-wk period...

Blood serum concentration of IGF-I was analyzed to determine its relationship with individual postweaning feed efficiency (gain/feed) of 36 crossbred steer calves fed at three levels of feed intake (n = 12 at each level). Diets consisted of a corn silage-based growing diet for 84 d followed by a 91% concentrate finishing diet for 56 d. Dietary intake levels were at 80, 90, or 100% of ad libitum...

ascorbic acid (vitamin c) supplementation has been documented as a useful tool to improve the performance of laying birds reared under harsh environmental conditions. however, there is limited information on the use of ascorbic acid as a means of ameliorating the stressful conditions imposed by feed restriction. to this effect a 3 × 2 factorial experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect ...

the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different levels of amino acid and feeding methods on performance and immune system of broiler chickens. experimental design was based on completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement with 3 feeding methods [control (ad libitum feed intake), intermittent feeding (if) and continuous feed withdrawal (fw)), and 2 amino acid le...

Improving feed efficiency is a relevant strategy to reduce feed cost and environmental waste in livestock production. Selection experiments on residual feed intake (RFI), a measure of feed efficiency, previously indicated that low RFI was associated with lower feed intake, similar growth rate, and greater lean meat content compared with high RFI. To gain insights into the molecular mechanisms u...

The optimum duration of test for the measurement of ADG, ADFI, feed:gain ratio [which is the reciprocal of the efficiency of gain (G:F) and therefore increases as the efficiency of gain decrease and vice versa], and residual feed intake was examined in growing pigs. Data from 144 hybrid (mainly Large White x Landrace) pigs involved in a longitudinal (n = 54) and serial slaughter (n = 90) experi...

Heat stress can compromise intestinal integrity and induce leaky gut in a variety of species. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine if heat stress (HS) directly or indirectly (via reduced feed intake) increases intestinal permeability in growing pigs. We hypothesized that an increased heat-load causes physiological alterations to the intestinal epithelium, resulting in compr...

Sodium bicarbonate and yeast culture effects on ruminal fermentation, intake, and growth were evaluated in young calves. In trail 1, nine ruminally cannulated Holstein calves averaging 12 wk of age were fed control starter (17% CP) or starters containing 3% sodium bicarbonate or .2% yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) culture in a 3 x 3 Latin square. Calves were fed for ad libitum consumption for ...

Providing feed is a major input cost in beef production, hence improvements in the efficiency of feed utilisation will reduce the cost of production. Residual feed intake (RFI) is a measure of feed efficiency, and is defined as the difference between an animal's actual feed intake and its expected feed intake based on its size and growth. It is independent of the level of production, and the lo...