Interaction of diet composition and a reduced nocturnal temperature regimen in weanling pigs.

A three-trial experiment using 3- to 4-wk-old newly weaned pigs was conducted to evaluate the possible interaction between a 16-h reduced nocturnal temperature regimen (RNT16) and a lowered nursery diet lysine regimen on weaned pig and subsequent growing-finishing performance. Nursery temperature treatments were 1) a control temperature (CT) regimen of 30 degrees C constant air temperature lowered 2 C degree/wk and 2) a regimen beginning 1 wk after weaning in which the temperature from 1600 to 0800 was lowered 6 C degree from CT. Within each temperature treatment, all pigs were offered a diet containing 1.20% lysine for the 1st wk after weaning followed by 1.20 or 1.10% lysine to 10.5 kg and 1.00 or .90% lysine to 20 kg. There was no interaction of temperature regimen and diet on overall nursery performance. The RNT16 pigs had improved (P = .1) ADG (.351 vs .342 kg/d) with no difference (P > .1) in ADFI (.693 vs .680 kg/d) or G:F (.508 vs .506) compared with CT. Pigs fed the lower lysine sequence had poorer (P < .0001) ADG (.333 vs .360 kg/d) and G:F (.487 vs .527) than controls. There was also no effect (P > .1) of RNT16 vs CT on subsequent performance to slaughter weight for ADG (.770 vs .755 kg/d) or G:F (.309 vs .311). There was also no effect (P > .1) of a lowered nursery lysine sequence compared to control on growing-finishing ADG (.768 vs .757 kg/d) or G:F (.312 vs .309).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)