The effects of crossfostering pigs at birth on subsequent survival and performance

Data from 144 crossbred Duroc, Hampshire, Yorkshire and Landrace litters were used to study effects of crossfostering pigs at birth on subsequent performance traits. There were 1,413 pig births from six farrowings during 1977 included in the study. Pigs were ear notched, weighed, needle teeth clipped and male pigs castrated on day one. Crossfostering was accomplished within 24 hours of birth. Two randomly selected litters of pigs were crossfostered as a group. The smallest one-half of the pigs by weight were placed with one sow and the largest one-half by weight with the other sow. The pigs were weaned at 5 weeks of age, weighed and placed in the nursery. The largest one-third of the pigs by weight were randomly assigned to four nursing pens, the middle third to four pens and the light-weight one third to the remaining four pens. The pigs were weighed and moved as a pen of pigs to the finishing barns. Crossfostering reduced the variation within litters and enlarged variation among litters. The small crossfostered litter pigs were superior in uniformity of daily gain compared to small pigs from control litters. The smaller pigs (control and crossfostered) did not perform as well as larger pigs in terms of average daily gain. Average daily gain to weaning was shown to be an important factor in determining succeeding performance traits. Crossfostering appears advantageous in developing more uniformity in size and weight among pigs produced.