Pigs exposed to chronic intrauterine hyperthermia (gHS) experience greater fat deposition during life and yield carcasses with greater fat:lean content at slaughter compared to pigs gestated under thermoneutral conditions (gTN). The objectives of this study were to 1) determine whether gHS impacts the lactational performance of affected gilts (F1 generation), and 2) determine whether these effects of gHS are also evident in the next generation (F2 generation). Twenty-four gilts were bred and exposed to thermoneutral or heat stressed conditions for the entirety of gestation, and F1 female offspring were retained. At puberty, gHS and gTN gilts were bred to farrow in either spring (March / April) or summer (July / August). Colostrum and milk samples were collected at farrowing and on d 7, 14, and 21 of lactation. At weaning, four offspring (two male, two female) were retained and grown to market weight in mixed-pens under identical management conditions. Carcass characteristics were analyzed at slaughter. Milk nutrient analysis indicated that gHS gilts produced less lactose, and tended to produce greater protein, than did gTN gilts. There was no difference in the growth rate of F2 offspring, but pigs born of gHS dams did have a tendency for greater backfat thickness. The patterns of altered milk nutrient content observed in F1 gilts reflects a metabolic profile consistent with previous gHS research, and the greater backfat of F2 pigs at slaughter indicates the adipose-promoting effects of gHS may be diluted, but still evident, in the second generation. / Master of Science
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/64474 |
Date | 19 January 2016 |
Creators | Wiegert, Jeffrey Glennon |
Contributors | Animal and Poultry Sciences, Rhoads, Michelle, Rhoads, Robert P., Ealy, Alan D. |
Publisher | Virginia Tech |
Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Thesis |
Format | ETD, application/pdf |
Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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