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Keywords

performance, pig, sensory attractant, suckling, weaning

Abstract

A total of 28 litters (241 × 600, DNA) corresponding with 355 nursery pigs (241 × 600, DNA; initially 13.0 lb) were used in 42-d trial (17-d pre-weaning and 24-d post-weaning). This trial was conducted to determine the effect of providing a sensory attractant liquid (BlueLite Pro2Lyte; TechMix Global; Stewart, MN) to suckling pigs on the underline of sows after farrowing and in late lactation, and after weaning on post-weaning feed intake and growth. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of: 1) pre-weaning treatment (without or with attractant); 2) postweaning treatment (without or with attractant); and 3) body weight category (light or heavy). Overall, pre-weaning liquid sensory attractant did not have a significant effect on piglet weaning weight or post-weaning growth performance. Likewise, post-weaning application had limited effects on the growth performance of pigs after weaning. Liquid sensory attractant pre-weaning increased the percentage of lightweight pigs that lost weight from weaning to d 3 by approximately 16 percentage points, whereas liquid sensory attractant pre-weaning decreased the percentage of heavyweight pigs that lost weight after weaning by approximately 17 percentage points (pre-weaning treatment and BW category interaction, P = 0.003). This interaction diminished by d 7. Significance was also detected for the main effect of BW category. A greater percentage of heavyweight pigs lost weight on d 3 (P = 0.007) and d 7 (P = 0.051) compared to lightweight pigs. In summary, liquid sensory attractant that was applied pre- and post-weaning had limited effects on the growth performance of pigs; however, varying responses were observed for the percentage of pigs that lost weight immediately after weaning. Strategies to reduce the number of pigs that lose weight after weaning warrant further investigation.

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