The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent how performance traits in purebred pigs, including days to 113.4kg (D113), ultrasound backfat depth (BF), and loin muscle area (LMA), are affected by variation in birth weight (BTW) and weaning weight (WW). Data consisted of BTW and WW records (Duroc, n=26,260; Landrace, n=31,209; Yorkshire, n=53,037), and off-test records (Duroc, n=10,103; Landrace, n=9,478; Yorkshire, n=18,647). Mean piglet BTW and WW decreased as total born and number weaned increased (P<0.05). Models included significant effects of parity, sex, farm, and random effects of contemporary group and sow. Covariates of BTW, BTW2, WW, and WW2 were included to evaluate their effects. Mean D113 for pigs from parity 1 dams were 2 to 3 d greater than pigs from parity 2 and 3 dams (P<0.05). However, when BTW and WW were included as covariates to the model, D113 was not different for pigs from parity 1 dams versus older sows. Birth weight (linear and quadratic) and WW (linear and quadratic) accounted for approximately 20% of the residual variance in D113 within each breed. Backfat depth and LMA were affected (P<0.05) by BTW and WW. However, inclusion of BF and LMA as covariates in the models produced only small reductions in residual variances. Pigs with lighter BTW and WW, are more common in parity 1 litters and large litters and had poorer postweaning growth, BF, and LMA than heavier pigs at birth and weaning.

Enriched cages, compared with conventional cages, allow egg laying strains of chickens to meet some behavioral needs, including a high motivation to perch. The objective of this study was to determine if perch availability during rearing affected perch use as adults and if perch presence affected eating and drinking in caged White Leghorn hens. Chickens were assigned to 14 cages each with and without 2 round metal perches from hatch to 16.9 wk of age. At 17 wk of age, pullets were assigned to laying cages consisting of 1 of 4 treatments. Treatment 1 chickens never had access to perches (controls). Treatment 2 chickens only had access to 2 round metal perches during the laying phase (17 to 71 wk of age). Treatment 3 chickens only had access to 2 round perches during the pullet phase (0 to 16.9 wk of age). Treatment 4 chickens had access to the perches during both the pullet and laying phase. Each treatment during the adult phase consisted of 9 cages with 9 birds/cage for a total of 36 cages. Automatic infrared cameras were used to monitor behavior of hens in each cage for a 24-h period at 19, 24, 29, 34, 39, 44, 49, 54, 59, 64, and 69 wk of age. Behavior was also recorded twice weekly by an observer in the room where the hens were housed during photophase from 25 to 68 wk of age. Behavioral data were analyzed using ANOVA with repeated measures and the MIXED model procedure. A greater proportion of hens without perches as pullets used the rear perch more during both photophase and scotophase than hens with prior pullet perching experience. Eating and drinking activities of caged adult Leghorns were not impaired by their prior experience to perches as pullets or by the presence of perches in laying cages. It is concluded that providing perches in cages to White Leghorns during pullet rearing did not facilitate use of perches as adults.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships of litter weaning weight (LWW), number weaned (NW), mean pig weaning weight (PWT), litter birth weight (LBW), and survival percentage (%S) with number after transfer (NAT) and number born alive (NBA) on purebred and crossbred litters. Data consisted of purebred Duroc (29,297), Landrace (34,177), and Yorkshire litters (40,301) as well as Yorkshire×Landrace (8061) and Landrace×Yorkshire (4028) crossbred litters. The data were distributed into 4 time periods of 1980 through 1997, 1998 through 2002, 2003 through 2008, and 2009 through 2011. All variables were initially modeled with the fixed effects of litter breed, period, NAT, farm, parity-age class (P-AC) groupings and interactions, and random effects of sow and contemporary group. Non-significant variables and interactions (P>0.05) were removed from final models. Periods 1 and 2 as well as 3 and 4 were combined based on non-significant main effects and interactions. The effect of NAT on LWW differed by time period (P<0.01) such that heavier litters were achieved at larger litter sizes (NAT>11) in Landrace and Yorkshire litters (P<0.05) in period 2. Mean PWT decreased as NAT increased with less effect on PWT during the second time period. Also %S decreased in a linear fashion from 6 to 12 NAT then decreased at an increasing rate for NAT>12, with a slight increase in %S over time for all breeds. Number weaned increased in a linear fashion up to NAT equal to 11 then increased at a decreasing rate to a maximum value depending on breed; above that value of NAT, NW decreased. There were no significant (P>0.05) NBA by parity interactions for traits that were measured after processing and transfer. In every statistical analysis, farm was a significant and major source of variation. Also %S, and NW were greatly affected by NAT, and LBW was greatly affected by total number of pigs born (TNB). As litter size increases, greater emphasis should be placed on preweaning survival. The data indicate the effects of NAT on LWW, and PWT should be revaluated periodically.

Barrows (n = 2,178) and gilts (n = 2,274) were fed either high-energy or low-energy diets from 27 kg of BW to target BW of 118, 127, 131.5, and 140.6 kg over 12 monthly replicates. Carcass primal cut and subprimal cut weights as well as optical probe backfat and loin depth measurements were collected on each pig. The cut weights and carcass measurements for each pig were fitted to allometric functions (Y = A · CWB) of carcass weight (CW), where A is a scalar parameter and B is the allometric coefficient. The final models were weight or measurement = random effect of replicate + (1 + bDD) · (A · CWB) + error, where bD is the regression coefficient, D (diet) = −0.5 for the low-energy and 0.5 for high-energy diets, and A and B are sire line–sex specific parameters. Linear regressions of backfat and loin depth residuals from the model were included at P < 0.05 to the cut weight equations but had little effect to reduce the residual variance. The residuals among the primal and subprimal cuts were correlated, and a Cholesky decomposition procedure was used on the variance–covariance matrix of the residuals. By using these procedures, a stochastic model can be used to evaluate the effect of alternative management, marketing, and carcass sorting strategies on the mean and distribution of pork primal and subprimal cut weights to increase pork processor profitability.

The objective of this trial was to evaluate sources and magnitude of variation for pork cut weights. The weights of 5 primal and subprimal cuts were evaluated from 1,688 barrows and gilts of 3 sire and 2 dam lines at target market BW of 113, 127, or 141 kg. The cut-weight data were fitted to an allometric function of carcass weight (cut weight, kg = A · CWB), where A is a scalar parameter, B is the allometric coefficient, and CW = carcass weight. The equation was linearized as log10(cut weight, kg) = log10A + Blog10(CW) and included the fixed effects of sire line, dam line, and sex and their interactions with log10CW. The predicted values of the cut weights were included in a model including the random effects of replicate, room within replicate, and pig and fixed effect of side. Left-side weights were greater (P < 0.01) than right-side weights for bone-in loin, rough-cut belly, and trimmed belly weight. The allometric functions of CW accounted for 47 (rough-cut belly) to 68% (bone-in loin) of the total variance in the cut weights. The random effect of pig accounted for 7.9, 2.4, 22.3, 11.6, and 14.9% of the variance for bone-in ham, bone-in loin, boneless loin, rough-cut belly, and trimmed belly weight, respectively. The within-pig side-to-side variation accounted for 23.9, 27.1, 26.7, 15.2, and 17.2% of the total variance in the cut weights. Approximately 30 to 49% of the total variation in cut weights remained when pigs of the same population and CW were processed.

Enrichment of pullet cages with perches has not been studied. Our objective was to determine if access to metal perches during all or part of the life cycle of caged White Leghorns affected egg traits, foot health, and feather condition. Treatment 1 represented control chickens that never had access to perches during their life cycle. Treatment 2 hens had perches only during the egg laying phase of the life cycle (17 to 71 wk of age), whereas treatment 3 chickens had perches during the pullet phase (0 to 16.9 wk of age). Treatment 4 chickens always had access to perches (0 to 71 wk of age). Comparisons between chickens that always had perches with controls that never had perches showed similar performance relative to egg production, cracked eggs, egg weight, shell weight, % shell, and shell thickness. More dirty eggs occurred in laying cages with perches. Feed usage increased resulting in poorer feed efficiency in hens with perch exposure during the pullet phase with no effect during egg laying. Perches did not affect hyperkeratosis of toes and feet. The back claw at 71 wk of age broke less if hens had prior experience with perches during the pullet phase. In contrast, during egg laying, the back claw at 71 wk of age broke more due to the presence of perches in laying cages. Perches in laying cages resulted in shorter trimmed claws and improved back feather scores, but caused poorer breast and tail feather scores. In conclusion, enriching conventional cages with perches during the entire life cycle resulted in similar hen performance compared with controls. Fewer broken back claws but poorer feed efficiency occurred because of prior experience with perches as pullets. Perch presence during egg laying improved back feather scores with more trimmed nails but caused more dirty eggs, broken back claws, and poorer breast and tail feather scores. Although perches allow chickens to express their natural perching instinct, it was not without causing welfare problems.

Schinckel, A. P., Einstein, M. E., Ajuwon, K. M. and Adeola, O. 2013. Characterization of whole body compositional growth of male ducks during the twenty-nine day post-hatch period. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 93: 113–122. Changes in whole body dry matter, lipid, ash, energy, crude protein, and amino acids were evaluated during a 29 d post-hatch period in White Pekin ducks. Drakes were assigned to slaughter 1, 8, 15, 22, or 29 d post-hatch with four replicates of four ducks per slaughter period. The body weight (BW) data were fitted to the Weibull function with the form:[Formula: see text]where BWit is the BW of the ith duck at t days of age and A, B, C, and IP are parameters. The value of IP, the inflection point, which minimized the residual SD, was 40 d. Values of A (8591 g, SE=190), B (42.87, SE=11.5), and C (1.7399, SE=0.050) resulted in an R 2 of 0.9836 and residual SD of 83.7 g. Allometric (Y=A BWB), linear-quadratic and exponential (Y=exp (b0+b1BW+b2 (BW)2) functions of BW were fitted to the chemical component and amino acid mass data. Dry matter percentage of the ducks increased (P<0.01) with age. The protein content of the dry matter decreased (P<0.01) from day 1 to day 8 (69 to 58.2%) and then increased to 60% by d 29. Concentrations of several amino acids were affected (P<0.05) by age. The predicted accretion rates of Lys, Trp, and Met relative to protein accretion increased as age increased. The predicted daily accretion rates for major indispensable amino acids increased rapidly the first 5 d post-hatch and subsequently increased but at a decreasing rate to day 29 post-hatch. The relative growth rates of chemical components and indispensable amino acids were affected by age indicating that the nutrient requirements of ducks differ from day 1 to day 29 post-hatch. Compositional growth and amino acid accretion data can be used to model the nutrient requirements of ducks.

A major skeletal problem of conventionally caged hens is increased susceptibility to osteoporosis mainly due to lack of exercise. Osteoporosis is characterized by a progressive decrease in mineralized structural bone. Whereas considerable attention has been given to enriching laying cages, little research has been conducted on providing caged pullets with furnishments, in particular perches. The objective of the current study was to determine if metal perches during all or part of the life cycle of White Leghorns affected hen musculoskeletal health, especially at end of lay. Treatments during the pullet phase (hatch to 16.9 wk) entailed cages with and without perches. Four treatments were used during the laying phase (17 to 71 wk of age). Treatment 1 chickens never had access to perches at any point during their life cycle, typical of egg industry practices in the United States for conventional cages. Treatment 2 chickens had access to perches only during the egg-laying phase, which was from 17 to 71 wk of age. Treatment 3 chickens had access to perches only during the pullet phase (0 to 16.9 wk of age). Treatment 4 chickens had perch access throughout their entire life cycle (0 to 71 wk of age). Musculoskeletal health was assessed by measuring muscle weights, bone mineralization, bone fracture incidence, and keel bone deviations. Muscle deposition of 71-wk-old hens increased when given access to perches as pullets. Bone mineralization of 71-wk-old hens also increased if given perch access as adults. However, the disadvantage of the adult perch was the higher incidence of keel deviations and keel fractures at end of lay. The increase in bone mineralization of the keel bone as a result of perch access during the pullet and laying phases was not great enough to prevent a higher incidence of keel bone fractures at end of lay. Perch redesign and placement of perches within the cage to minimize keel fractures and deviations are possible solutions.

Current methods to adjust pig performance data to a constant BW or age assume linear relationships between the growth of the measurement and either age or BW. Serial BW and ultrasonic measurements from a set of gilts were used to provide an example of the development of alternative methods to adjust pig performance data. Each pig was weighed at approximately 125, 138 153, 167, and 174 d of age. Ultrasonic backfat depth and loin depth measurements were collected at each weigh day on approximately one-half of the gilts. The BW data were fitted to a mixed model generalized Michaelis-Menten (GMM) function with one pig-specific random effect for mature BW. By including each pig’s random effect, the pig’s predicted age to achieve target BW was estimated. An allometric equation Y = (1 + ai) A BWBwith a pig-specific random effect (ai) provided the best fit of the ultrasonic data to BW. An alternative approach to adjust pig growth or measurement data using mixed model nonlinear equations was suggested. The pig’s actual data were used to solve for its specific random effect. Then, using the nonlinear equation and the pig’s random effect, the pig’s measurement at the target age or BW can be estimated. This alternative approach may better predict the mean and variances of each pig’s growth and better adjust pig performance data.

Pigs from four sire lines were allocated to a series of low energy (LE, 3.15 to 3.21 Mcal ME/kg) corn-soybean meal-based diets with 16% wheat midds or high energy diets (HE, 3.41 to 3.45 Mcal ME/kg) with 4.5 to 4.95% choice white grease. All diets contained 6% DDGS. The HE and LE diets of each of the four phases were formulated to have equal lysine:Mcal ME ratios. Barrows (N = 2,178) and gilts (N = 2,274) were fed either high energy (HE) or low energy (LE) diets from 27 kg BW to target BWs of 118, 127, 131.5 and 140.6 kg. Carcass primal and subprimal cut weights were collected. The cut weights and carcass measurements were fitted to allometric functions (Y = A CWB) of carcass weight. The significance of diet, sex or sire line with A and B was evaluated by linearizing the equations by log to log transformation. The effect of diet on A and B did not interact with sex or sire line. Thus, the final model was B) where Diet = −0.5 for the LE and 0.5 for HE diets and A and B are sire line-sex specific parameters. cut weight = (1+bD(Diet)) A(CW Diet had no affect on loin, Boston butt, picnic, baby back rib, or sparerib weights (p>0.10, bD = −0.003, −0.0029, 0.0002, 0.0047, −0.0025, respectively). Diet affected ham weight (bD = −0.0046, p = 0.01), belly weight (bD = 0.0188, p = 0.001) three-muscle ham weight (bD = −0.014, p = 0.001), boneless loin weight (bD = −0.010, p = 0.001), tenderloin weight (bD = −0.023, p = 0.001), sirloin weight (bD = −0.009, p = 0.034), and fat-free lean mass (bD = −0.0145, p = 0.001). Overall, feeding the LE diets had little impact on primal cut weight except to decrease belly weight. Feeding LE diets increased the weight of lean trimmed cuts by 1 to 2 percent at the same carcass weight.

Two genetic lines of barrows and gilts with different lean growth rates were used to determine BW and mineral growth from 23 to 125 kg BW. The experiment was a 2 × 2 × 5 factorial arrangement of treatments conducted in 2 replicates. Six pigs from each sex and genetic line were killed at approximately 25-kg intervals from 23 kg BW to 125 kg BW. At slaughter, tissues were collected and weighed. All components were ground and frozen until analysis for mineral, lipid, and protein content. The allometric function, mineral mass = a BWb, provided the best fit to the data. The linear form of the allometric equations was evaluated for the interactions of the regression coefficients with genetic lines and sex. Daily NE intakes were estimated based on the daily protein and lipid accretion rates. Allometric growth coefficients for the mineral mass were different for each sex and genetic line for Ca (P < 0.05). Interactions of BW and genetic line were found for Se, Zn, S, and K. The high-lean gain pigs had greater rates of mineral accretion per predicted unit of energy intake. In several cases, the predicted ratio of mineral accretion to NE intake were from 10 to 20% greater for the high-lean than the low-lean gain pigs at 25 kg BW and increased to 20 to 50% from 100 to 125 kg BW. These results support the need for genetic population-specific mineral nutrient recommendations.

A TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED TO:i) evaluate the BW growth, energy intakes and energetic efficiency of pigs fed high and low density diets from 27 to 141 kg BW, ii) evaluate sire line and sex differences when fed both diets, and iii) to compare ME to NE as predictor of pig performance. The experiment had a replicated factorial arrangement of treatments including four sire lines, two sexes (2,192 barrows and 2,280 gilts), two dietary energy densities and a light or heavy target BW, 118 and 131.5 kg in replicates 1 to 6 and 127 and 140.6 kg in replicates 7 to 10. Pigs were allocated to a series of low energy (LE, 3.27 Mcal ME/kg) corn-soybean meal based diets with 16% wheat midds or high energy diets (HE, 3.53 to 3.55 Mcal ME/kg) with 4.5 to 4.95% choice white grease. All diets contained 6% DDGS. The HE and LE diets of each of the four phases were formulated to have equal lysine:Mcal ME ratios. Pigs were weighed and pen feed intake (11 or 12 pigs/pen) recorded at 28-d intervals. The barrow and gilt daily feed (DFI), ME (MEI) and NE (NEI) intake data were fitted to a Bridges function of BW. The BW data of each sex were fitted to a generalized Michaelis-Menten function of days of age. ME and NE required for maintenance (Mcal/d) were predicted using functions of BW (0.255 and 0.179 BW^0.60 respectively). Pigs fed LE diets had decreased ADG (915 vs. 945 g/d, p<0.001) than pigs fed HE diets. Overall, DFI was greater (p<0.001) for pigs fed the LE diets (2.62 vs. 2.45 kg/d). However, no diet differences were observed for MEI (8.76 vs. 8.78 Mcal/d, p = 0.49) or NEI (6.39 vs. 6.44 Mcal/d, p = 0.13), thereby indicating that the pigs compensated for the decreased energy content of the diet. Overall ADG:DFI (0.362 vs. 0.377) and ADG:Mcal MEI (0.109 vs. 0.113) was less (p<0.001) for pigs fed LE compared to HE diets. Pigs fed HE diets had 3.6% greater ADG:Mcal MEI above maintenance and only 1.3% greater ADG:Mcal NEI (0.152 versus 0.150), therefore NEI is a more accurate predictor of growth and G:F than MEI. Pigs fed HE diets had 3.4% greater ADG:Mcal MEI and 0.11% greater ADG:NEI above maintenance than pigs fed LE diets, again demonstrating that NEI is a better predictor of pig performance than MEI. Pigs fed LE diets had similar daily NEI and MEI but grew slower and less efficiently on both ME and NE basis than pigs fed HE diets. The data suggest that the midds NE value (2.132 Mcal/kg) was too high for this source or that maintenance was increased for pigs fed LE diets.

The amino acid contents of whole body were determined in male ducks at 5 age intervals from d 1 to 29 post hatch. Whole body homogenates were analyzed of dry matter, nitrogen, and amino acids and used to determine amino acid accretion rates and efficiency of utilization of digestible amino acids for amino acid accretion. During periods d 1 to 8, d 8 to 15, d 15 to 22, and d 22 to 29 post hatch, growth rates of the duck averaged 29, 61, 79, and 92 g/d, respectively. There were rapid increases in rates of amino acid accretion during the periods of d 1 to 8, d 8 to 15, and d 15 to 22 and a leveling off during d 22 to 29 period of growth as shown by the linear (P<0.01) and quadratic (P<0.05) effects for all amino acids except tryptophan (Trp), which showed only a linear (P<0.01) effect. The respective rates of lysine (Lys) and methionine (Met) accretion increased from 0.264 and 0.081 g/(d·duck) during d 1 to 8 post-hatch period to 0.883 and 0.269 g/(d·duck) during d 15 to 22 post-hatch period and plateaued at 0.854 and 0.265 g/(d·duck) during d 22 to 29 post-hatch period. Accretion rate for glutamic acid (Glu) was greatest, followed by glycine (Gly), aspartic acid (Asp), leucine (Leu), arginine (Arg), lysine (Lys), alanine (Ala), proline (Pro), and valine (Val) in decreasing order. Trp had the least accretion rate of all the amino acids. The efficiency of digestible amino acid utilization for amino acid accretion was highest from d 2 to 5 post hatch and decreased progressively thereafter with increasing age and body weight. The efficiency of digestible Trp utilization was much lower than any other indispensable amino acid. Digestible Met was utilized with highest efficiency followed by Lys, Val, and threonine (Thr) in decreasing order. Efficiencies of utilization were 0.70, 0.645, 0.667, and 0.630 at 2 to 5 d of age and 0.522, 0.486, 0.465, and 0.436 at 29 d of age for Met, Lys, Val and Thr, respectively.

Osteoporosis, a progressive decrease in mineralized structural bone, causes 20 to 35% of all mortalities in caged White Leghorn hens. Previous research has focused on manipulating the egg laying environment to improve skeletal health, with little research on the pullet. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of perch access on pullet health, bone mineralization, muscle deposition, and stress in caged White Leghorns. From 0 to 17 wk of age, half of the birds were placed in cages with 2 round metal perches, while the other half did not have perches (controls). Bone mineralization and bone size traits were determined in the tibia, femur, sternum, humerus, ulna, radius, and phalange (III carpometacarpal) using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Muscle weights were obtained for the breast and left leg (drum and thigh). A sample of pullets from each cage was evaluated for foot health, BW, right adrenal weight, and packed cell volume. Most measurements were taken at 3, 6, and 12 wk of age. Access to perches did not affect breast muscle weight, percentage breast muscle, percentage leg muscle, bone mineral density, bone length, bone width, adrenal weight, packed cell volume, and hyperkeratosis of the foot-pad and toes. There were no differences in BW, bone mineral content, and leg muscle weight at 3 and 6 wk of age. However, at 12 wk of age, BW (P = 0.025), bone mineral content of the tibia, sternum, and humerus (P = 0.015), and the left leg muscle weight (P = 0.006) increased in pullets with access to perches as compared with controls. These results suggest that perch access has beneficial effects on pullet health by stimulating leg muscle deposition and increasing the mineral content of certain bones without causing a concomitant decrease in bone mineral density.

Daily feed intakes from 993 lactation records from 3 breeds of sows (42 Duroc, 405 Landrace, and 358 Yorkshire sows) were evaluated over a 19-mo period. Mixed models were evaluated for the Bridges, negative exponential, and generalized Michaelis-Menten functions. The generalized Michaelis-Menten function with 2 random effects provided the best fit to both daily feed intake (residual SD=0.93kg/d) and ME intake (residual SD=3.04 Mcal/d). Duroc sows had lower (P<0.001) feed and ME intakes than Landrace and Yorkshire sows. Feed and ME intakes were less for the summer season (June 15 to September 15) than for the other 3 seasons. Predicted mean ME intake (d 1 to 19) had significant (P<0.001) relationships with number weaned (NW; ME intake, Mcal/d=16.84+1.445 NW - 0.0692 NW2) and 21-d litter weight [ME intake, Mcal/d=21.42+0.0454 (21-d litter weight, kg)]. Sows with greater than average 21-d litter weights consumed only 12 to 14% of the additional ME required for the additional milk production. A transient reduction in feed intake was defined as when daily feed intake was 1.6 residual SD less than the predicted daily feed intake for 2 or more days. The incidence of transient reductions in feed intake was not affected (P>0.10) by stage of lactation (68 early, 77 mid-, and 82 late lactation). The incidence of transient reductions in feed intake was affected (P<0.05) by season, with incidence rates of 18.8, 16.3, 22.2, and 16.3% for summer, fall, winter, and spring, respectively.

A stochastic model was developed to evaluate the effects of total number of pigs born and dam parity on pig compositional growth and postweaning profitability. The survival of pigs was modeled as a function of parity and of birth weight. Two management strategies were simulated, either with or without cross-fostering. Without cross-fostering, litter sizes of 6 to 14 total pigs born were simulated. Litter sizes of 6 to 20 total pigs born were simulated to be cross-fostered to obtain a constant of 11 pigs nursed. Pigs from parity 1 dams were predicted to be slower growing and have reduced survival compared with pigs from dams of other parities. Increasing total pigs born from 6 to 14 without cross-fostering reduced 150-d BW by 8.0kg and carcass weight at marketing from 5.8 to 6.2kg. Differences in carcass value from 6 to 14 total pigs born ranged from $9.50 to $11.10 per pig and profitability of pigs ($/weaned pig) ranged from $6.17 (parity 6) to $7.37 (parity 1). Without cross-fostering, weaning pigs from parity 1 dams were $5.82 to $7.68 less valuable than pigs from dams of other parities at the same total number born. Pigs born and reared in cross-fostered litters by parity 1 dams had $9.72 and $10.09 less carcass value and were $6.70 and $7.06 less profitable than weaning pigs of parity 2 and parity >3 dams. Pigs born in larger litters, with or without cross-fostering, were less profitable postweaning than pigs from smaller litters.