Influence of Nutritional Regime on Age at Puberty in Gilts

Authors

P. J. Cunningham, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
C. H. Nabor, Morgan County Community College
Dwane R. Zimmerman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
E. R. Peo, Jr., University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Date of this Version

1974

Comments

Published in the Journal of Animal Science 39 (1974), pp. 63-67. Copyright © 1974 American Society of Animal Science. Used by permission.

Abstract

Age at puberty was determined for 205 Gene Pool gilts; 68 fed a 10% protein diet (HLC) consisting of high-lysine corn, minerals and vitamins and 137 fed a 14% protein corn soybeam meal diet (CS). Gilts fed the CS diet reached puberty 18.7 days earlier than gilts fed the HLC diet. Use of post-weaning daily gain as a covariable reduced the difference between diets to 9 days. The pooled within diet regression of age at puberty on post-weaning gain was -22.75 days per kilogram. The correlation between pubertal age and daily gain was significantly higher on the HLC diet (-.30 vs. -.57; P < .025) but the regressions for the two diets did not differ significantly (-26.0 vs. -18.4 days per kilogram).