High-copper mineral mixture for fattening pigs.pdfVIP

High -copper Mineral Mixture for Fattening Pigs BY R. J. BOWLER Riseholme Farm Institute, Riseholme, near Lincoln R. BRAUDE National Institute for Research in Dairying, University of Reading R. C. CAMPBELL? Agricultural Research Councils Unit of Reproductive Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Cambridge J. N. CRADDOCK-TURNBULL Seale-Hayne Agricultural College, Newton Abbot, Devomhire H . F . FIELDSEND Dorset Farm Institute, Dorchester E. K. GRIFFITHS County Farm Institute, Sparsholt, Hampshire I. A. M. LUCAS Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire K. G. MITCHELL National Institute for Research in Dairying, University of Reading N. J. D. NICKALLS School of Agriculture, Plumpton, Sussex AND J . H. TAYLOR Agricultural Research Council Field Station, Compton, Berkshire (Received 26 April 1955) Barber, Braude, Mitchell Cassidy (1955, and unpublished work) have observed that the growth rate of fattening pigs can be enhanced by including in their rations a mineral mixture supplying 250p.p.m. copper in the diet. In order to substantiate these findings a field trial was carried out in which eight centres co-operated. At four of the centres two replicates of the test were run, so that altogether results from twelve replicates were available and are reported below. * Co-ordinator. t Biometrician. VOl. 9 High-copper mineral mixture in pig feeding 359 EXPERIMENTAL Plan of experiment. The trial was planned in such a way that, in each replicate, litter-mates of the control pigs, receiving a diet normally used at each of the centres, were given the same diet to which 24 % of the special mineral mixture XF were added or replaced 2+ % of some other constituent. The mineral mixture was the same as the one used in the preliminary experiments of Barber et al. It consisted mainly of calcium carbonate and sodium chloride, and contained 4% copper sulphate, a small amount of ferrous sulphate, and traces of manganese sulphate, cob