EFFECTS OF CREEP AND STARTER COMPOSITION ON FEED INTAKE AND PERFORMANCE OF YOUNG PIGS

Two experiments were conducted to study the performance of 3- and 5-wk-weaned pigs fed creep or starter diets of differing complexity. In experiment 1, 36 litters, adjusted to seven or eight pigs per litter, were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments: no creep feed or ad libitum access to a feed of a simple, semi-complex or complex formulation during the pre-weaning period from 10 days of age until weaning at 3 wk of age. After weaning, pigs were paired by weight, within litters and treatments and each pair randomly allotted to one of the three diets. The post-weaning feeding period was from 3 to 7 wk of age. In experiment 2 the same creep and starter treatments as were used in experiment 1 were fed to 48 litters from 2 to 5 wk of age. After weaning, litter sizes were adjusted to seven or eight pigs and four litters from each pre-weaning treatment were allotted to each of the diets from 5 to 8 wk of age. In both experiments, creep feed intake was low for all three diets and though more of the complex diet was eaten in both experiments there were no significant differences in mean piglet weaning weight. In the post-weaning period, increase in diet complexity led to a corresponding increase in feed intake and weight gain. Only in the first experiment were the differences in post-weaning weight gain significant (P < 0.001). The digestibility coefficient for energy increased with an increase in diet complexity. Significant creep–starter interactions were only observed in the second experiment; the possible reasons for this have been discussed.