Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Hyderabad -500 03, India.
*Prepared from the M.V.Sc. thesis submitted by the first author to Sri Venkateswara Veterinary Univeristy, Tirupati.
Data pertaining to the pre-weaning body weights and average daily gains of 2909 piglets belonging to two crossbred (50% and 75% LWY-Desi) genetic groups were analyzed. Genetic group, period and season of birth and LSB in general, affected all the body weights highly significantly. The overall least-squares mean body weights were 1.11 ± 0.01, 2.16 ± 0.01, 3.20 ± 0.02, 4.32 ± 0.02, 5.44 ± 0.03, 6.52 ± 0.04, 7.65 ± 0.04, 8.79 ± 0.05 and 10.13 ± 0.06 kg at birth, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 weeks age, respectively. The overall least squares mean ADGs during 0 and 1, 1 and 2, 2 and 3, 3 and 4, 4 and 5, 5 and 6, 6 and 7, 7 and 8 and birth and 8 weeks were 0.149 ± 0.002, 0.148 ± 0.002, 0.158 ± 0.002, 0.161 ± 0.002, 0.154 ± 0.002, 0.161 ± 0.002, 0.165 ± 0.003, 0.191 ± 0.003 and 0.161 ± 0.001 kg, respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlations among body weights were mostly positive and medium to high. Correlations among average daily gains were very low and without any trend.
Average daily gain, Body weight, Crossbred pigs
