Effects of varying creep feeding duration on the proportion of pigs consuming creep feed and neonatal pig performance.

In Exp. 1, 54 sows (PIC Line 1050) and their litters were used to determine the effects of creep feeding duration on the proportion of pigs consuming creep feed and preweaning performance. Two groups of sows were blocked according to parity and date of farrowing and allotted to 3 experimental treatments in a randomized complete block design. Creep feeding was initiated at d 7, 14, and 18 from birth for durations of 13, 6, and 2 d of creep feeding. A creep diet (3,495 kcal of ME/kg, 1.56% standardized ileal digestible Lys) with 1.0% chromium oxide was offered for ad libitum intake until weaning (d 20) in a rotary creep feeder with hopper. Fecal samples from all piglets were taken with sterile swabs on d 14, 18, and 20 for treatment 1, d 18 and 20 for treatment 2, and d 20 for treatment 3. Piglets were categorized as eaters when the fecal sample was colored green at least once on any of the sampling days. In Exp. 1, there were no differences in weaning weights (P > 0.61), total BW gain (P > 0.38), and daily BW gain (P > 0.38) among pigs fed creep for 13, 6, or 2 d. Total creep feed intake of litters fed creep for 13 and 6 d was greater (P < 0.01) than that for litters fed creep feed for 2 d. Litters provided with creep feed for 13 d produced 10% more (80 vs. 70%; P < 0.03) eaters than litters fed creep for 6 or 2 d. In Exp. 2, all 273 pigs weaned from 1 of the 2 groups used in Exp. 1 (averaging 5.67 kg of BW and 20 +/- 2 d) were randomly allotted to 2 treatment categories (non-eater or eater of creep feed) in a completely randomized design to determine whether there were any differences in nursery growth performance between creep feed consumption categories. There were 10 and 33 replications (pens) with 5 to 7 pigs per pen for the non-eater and eater treatment categories, respectively. Non-eaters were heavier (P < 0.004) than eaters at d 0, but eaters had greater ADG (P < 0.01) and ADFI (P < 0.05) than non-eaters from d 0 to 3 postweaning. Overall (d 0 to 28), there were no (P > 0.69) differences in ADG, ADFI, and G:F of eaters and non-eaters. In conclusion, longer durations of creep feeding increased the proportion of eaters in whole litters, but did not affect preweaning performance. Eaters had greater postweaning feed intake than non-eaters, which resulted in greater initial daily BW gains.