Department of Animal Science
Mimeograph Series No. AN70-6
7 January, 1970

INFLUENCE OF HIGH DIETARY LEVELS OF
VITAMIN A ON YOUNG PIG PERFORMANCE

G. E. Combs and H. D. Wallace /

Florida Agricultural
Experiment Station
Gainesville, Florida

The vitamin A requirement of young pigs from about 10 to 45 pounds body

weight is approximately 900 I.U. of vitamin A per pound of diet. Starter diets

composed primarily of corn and soybean meal unless supplemented with vitamin A

are often marginal with respect to meeting the pigs' requirement.

This study was initiated to determine the influence of excessive quantities

of vitamin A upon rate and efficiency of gain with early weaned pigs.

Experimental

Forty pigs weaned at two weeks of age were allotted to 4 replicated pens of

5 pigs each. Feed was offered ad libitum with self feeders and water was suppliE

by automatic watering devices.

The supplemental vitamin A content of the 4 diets over the 6 week feeding

period was as follows:

Treatment No. 1 2 3 4

Vitamin A, I.U./lb.
1st two weeks 6,000 24,000 96,000 384,000
2nd two weeks 2,000 8,000 32,000 128,000
3rd two weeks 1,000 4,000 16,000 64,000

The composition of the diet fed is presented in Table 1.

Results and Discussion

A summary of the results is presented in Table 2.

The average daily intake of vitamin A during the 42 day experimental period

was 3,000, 12,000, 48,000 and 184,000 I.U. for treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4, respec-

tively. This wide range in vitamin A consumption did not result in significant

1/ Combs and 1aaldicn Anit'1 nuttrItr-.lnatc, AEnhi ml Sciene Department.

ed

Department of Animal Science
Mimeograph Series No. AN70-6
7 January, 1970

INFLUENCE OF HIGH DIETARY LEVELS OF
VITAMIN A ON YOUNG PIG PERFORMANCE

G. E. Combs and H. D. Wallace /

Florida Agricultural
Experiment Station
Gainesville, Florida

The vitamin A requirement of young pigs from about 10 to 45 pounds body

weight is approximately 900 I.U. of vitamin A per pound of diet. Starter diets

composed primarily of corn and soybean meal unless supplemented with vitamin A

are often marginal with respect to meeting the pigs' requirement.

This study was initiated to determine the influence of excessive quantities

of vitamin A upon rate and efficiency of gain with early weaned pigs.

Experimental

Forty pigs weaned at two weeks of age were allotted to 4 replicated pens of

5 pigs each. Feed was offered ad libitum with self feeders and water was suppliE

by automatic watering devices.

The supplemental vitamin A content of the 4 diets over the 6 week feeding

period was as follows:

Treatment No. 1 2 3 4

Vitamin A, I.U./lb.
1st two weeks 6,000 24,000 96,000 384,000
2nd two weeks 2,000 8,000 32,000 128,000
3rd two weeks 1,000 4,000 16,000 64,000

The composition of the diet fed is presented in Table 1.

Results and Discussion

A summary of the results is presented in Table 2.

The average daily intake of vitamin A during the 42 day experimental period

was 3,000, 12,000, 48,000 and 184,000 I.U. for treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4, respec-

tively. This wide range in vitamin A consumption did not result in significant

1/ Combs and 1aaldicn Anit'1 nuttrItr-.lnatc, AEnhi ml Sciene Department.

ed

- 2-

(P < .05) treatment differences in either daily gain, daily feed consumption or

feed required per unit of gain.
Although the experimental period was of relatively short duration it is
evident that the intentional or the unintentional addition of large quantities
of vitamin A to starter diets does not adversely affect rate or efficiency of gain.
Sumnary

Forty pigs weaned at 2 weeks of age were fed a corn-soy starter diet that con-
tained various levels of supplemental vitamin A for a 42 day period. No significar
(P < .05) differences were found in the daily gain, feed consumption or feed efficie
of pigs consuming an average of 3,000, 12,000, 48,000 or 184,000 I.U. of vitamin Ad

Table 1. Composition of Diet

Ingredient lb.
Ground yellow corn 50.59
Soybean meal (50%) 23.60
Cane Sugar 10.00
Tallow 3.00
Steamed bonemeal 1.30
Ground limestone 0.30
Iodized salt 0.50
Trace minerals 1/ 0.10
Vitamin supplement 2/ 0.31
Antibiotic supple mnt 2/ 0.30
Vitamin A premix i' 10.00
1/ Supplied the following in PPM: Mn, 57;
Fe, 70; Cu, 4.8; Co, 1.6 and Zn, 100.
2/ Vitamins were added to provide per pound
of diet the following: Vitamin D, 400 I.U.;
riboflavin, 4.4 mg.; pantqthenic acid, 10
mg.; niacin, 20 mg.; and vitamin B12, 9 meg.
3/ Contained 10 gm. Aureomycin per pound.
4/ Vitamin A (10,000 I.U./gm.) and cane sugar
were used to provide the quantity of supple-
mental vitamin A required for each dietary
treatment.

Table 2. Influence of High Dietary Vitamin A on Growth of Young Pigs

Treatment No. 1 2 3 4
Av. Daily vitamin A intake, I.U. 3,000 12,000 48,000 184,000

Number of pigs 10 10 10 10
Av. initial weight, lb. 8.8 8.8 8.8 8.8
Av. final weight, lb. 40.4 40.6 39.9 40.0
Av. daily gain, lb. 0.75 0.75 0.74 0.74
Av. daily feed, lb. 1.51 1.53 1.44 1.61
Av. feed/gain, lb. 2.00 2.03 1.95 2.19
Days on test 42 42 42 42