Table 4

Effects of feeding frequency on performance and gastric lesions for control and treatment group (least square means ± standard errors)


Control group
Treatment group
Sign.

No. of animals
179
180

Initial weight, kg
27.2
27.2

Final weight, kg
113.6 (± 0.29)
112.6 (± 0.29)
*
Carcass weight, kg
87.3 (± 0.26)
86.4 (± 0.26)
*
Daily weight gain, g



Entire fattening period
804 (± 6.78)
697 (± 6.76)
***
Start – 60 kg
788 (± 7.98)
638 (± 7.96)
***
60 kg – slaughter
815 (± 8.22)
744 (± 8.20)
***
Feeding period, days
109 (± 0.88)
125 (± 0.88)
***
Lean meat content, %
57.2 (± 0.20)
56.6 (± 0.20)
0.06
Gastric lesions, score
2.4 (± 0.12)
3.0 (± 0.12)
**

Level of significance: n.s. = p > 0.05; * = p < 0.05; ** = p < 0.010; *** = p < 0.001.

1 MJ = Mega Joule in Metabolisable energy.

Persson et al. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2008 50:24   doi:10.1186/1751-0147-50-24