VOMITOXIN-CONTAMINATED WHEAT IN PIG DIETS: PREGNANT AND LACTATING GILTS AND WEANERS

Abstract

Feeding trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of including vomitoxin-contaminated wheat (VCW) containing 6.9 mg vomitoxin per kilogram in the complete diet of gilts during gestation and lactation (3 wk) and in the initial diet of weanling pigs up to approximately 23 kg liveweight. Four groups of four littermate gilts were assigned to four dietary treatments (one littermate per treatment) as follows: (1) control with 69% clean wheat (CW) in the diet with 16% crude protein; (2) 1/3 replacement of the CW with VCW; (3) 2/3 replacement of the CW with VCW; and (4) 100% replacement of the CW with the VCW. During gestation gilts were fed 2.3 kg/day of the diet in two meals, and the same diet ad libitum during lactation. The level of vomitoxin (VT) did not have any detrimental effect on body weight change of the gilt during gestation and after farrowing. Ad libitum feed consumption of the gilts during lactation was not significantly different among treatments. Litter size and weight at birth and at weaning time was not affected by the level of VT intake during gestation. One hundred and four weanling piglets (56 males and 48 females) weighing approximately 7.0 kg each were included in an 8-wk feeding trial. Four dietary treatments, including the control diet (treatment 1), contained 73.2% CW and 22% crude protein, and treatments 2, 3 and 4 in which VCW replaced 1/3, 2/3 and 100% CW, respectively. A significant (P < 0.05) reduction in body weight gain in the 8-wk period was observed only when 100% of the cereal included in the diet was VCW. This effect was due to a significant reduction in feed consumption of the piglets. Thus, feed efficiency was not affected by the level of VT content of the diet. Key words: Vomitoxin, reproduction, weaners, wheat