Effects of Diethylstilbestrol Plus Methyltestosterone and Dietary Protein Level on Swine Performance and Composition

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
One hundred and four pigs were included in two experiments to evaluate the results of feeding a combination of diethylstilbestrol (DES) plus methyltestosterone (MT) to swine. The influences of sex and dietary protein levels upon the response to DES+MT were also investigated. DES+MT treated pigs gained more efficiently than untreated controls regardless of sex (experiment 1). The DES+MT treatment depressed the gains of barrows but stimulated the gains of gilts in experiment 2. DES+MT significantly decreased carcass fat and increased measures of muscling, except for longissimus muscle area in experiment 1, but the differences were greater among barrows than for gilts. Pigs receiving 16% protein tended to have improved carcass composition compared with those fed 12% protein. DES+MT treatment had little influence upon any of the blood components measured except the serum albumin level increased while β-globulin level decreased. The femurs from the DES+MT treated pigs were larger and withstood a greater load before breaking compared to the controls, but the composition of the femurs was similar in both groups. DES+MT treated pigs had heavier pituitary glands than control pigs. Taste panel preference scores indicated that no differences existed which were attributable to DES+MT treatment, sex group or protein level. Copyright © 1972. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1972 by American Society of Animal Science.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: