The effects of dietary net energy on grow-finish performance and carcass characteristics of market gilts managed with immunological suppression of ovarian function and estrus (Improvest®)

The objective was to determine the effects of net energy (NE) during the grow-finish period on live performance and carcass characteristics of market gilts managed with immunological suppression of ovarian function and estrus (Improvest®; IMP) compared with market gilts not managed with Improvest (CON). The 104-day study began when 1,008 gilts (11 weeks old; average starting weight of 30.8 kg) were allocated by weight to 48 pens with 21 gilts per pen. Half of the pens were randomly selected to be managed with Improvest while the other half of the pens were not managed with Improvest. Three dietary programs differing in their NE were formulated over five dietary phases (according to standardized ileal digestible lysine requirements) to provide an average of 2,218 kcal/kg (Low NE), 2,343 kcal/kg (Medium NE), or 2,468 kcal/kg (High NE). The experiment was designed as a 2 × 3 factorial with main effects of Improvest management and NE. For the overall study period, there were no significant interactions (P ≥ 0.20) for average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), or Gain:Feed (G:F). There were also no significant interactions between Improvest management and NE (P ≥ 0.30) for carcass characteristics. However, IMP gilts consumed more feed (6.8% greater ADFI; P < 0.01), grew faster (5.0% greater ADG; P < 0.01), were less efficient (1.8% lower G:F; P < 0.01), heavier (3.5 kg hot carcass weight; P < 0.01), and fatter (1.9 mm greater backfat thickness and 1.26% less predicted lean carcass yield; P < 0.01). No difference (P = 0.21) in carcass dressing percentage between IMP and CON gilts was reported. For the overall study period, gilts fed Low NE and Medium NE diets consumed more feed compared with gilts fed High NE diets (6.8% more ADFI for Low NE and 5.7% more for Medium NE; P < 0.01), and gilts fed Low NE diets grew 2.5% slower (P < 0.01) than gilts fed Medium NE diets, while gilts fed High NE diets were intermediate and not different from the other NE treatments. This resulted in gilts fed Low NE diets being the least efficient (3.8% lower G:F than Medium NE and 7.1% lower G:F than High NE; P < 0.01). Overall, these data indicate that typical Improvest response levels were sustained at each of the NE treatments evaluated in this study as there were no significant interactions for Improvest management and NE; however, consideration should still be provided to the known production impacts of low NE diets.