Nutritional strategies to reduce growth of pigs during emergency situations

Abstract

Multiple feeding strategies have been shown to reduce growth in emergency situations. Feeding low protein diets decreased average daily gain (ADG) up to 71% depending on the degree of restriction and resulted in decreased carcass leanness. Feeding excess methionine decreased ADG up to 67%, with limited effects on carcass leanness. Feeding methionine in the diet above 2% may result in body weight loss. Feeding calcium chloride or ammonium chloride decreased ADG up to 98% depending on the dietary electrolyte imbalance imposed and can result in leaner carcasses and potentially poorer meat quality as measured by color, pH, and tenderness.