IA State Univ. Report 2012: Birth Weight and Post-Weaning Failure to Thrive Affect Subsequent Growth Performance, but Not Nursery Nutrient Digestibility or Carcass Composition of Pigs

Numerous factors, including birth weight, can affect transition during weaning. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of birth weight and transition ADG on growth and nutrient digestibility of pigs reared in a commercial environment. A total of 1,500 pigs were weighed at birth, tagged, and divided into 5 birth weight categories: <1 kg, 1-1.25 kg, 1.25-1.5 kg, 1.5-1.75 kg, >1.75 kg. At weaning, 1,054 pigs were moved to a commercial wean-to-finish research barn. All pigs were weighed individually at 0, 3, 6, and 22-weeks post-weaning.