In recent years, the reproductive performance of sows has been drastically improved. Nowadays, on many farms, with the use of hyperprolific sows, the average litter size exceeds 13 piglets at farrowing and 11.5 at weaning. These changes in performance have had major effects on the nutritional...

This chapter provides an overview of the processes and major hormones involved in reproduction. Emphasis is given on aspects that are of direct concern to the rabbit producer. The male and female reproductive organs, artificial insemination, winter breeding depression and embryo transfer are...

This chapter covers the energy and protein requirements of rabbits as well as their metabolism. The energy units (gross, digestible, net and metabolizable energy) and the methods used for estimating energy requirement are presented. The aspects of energy metabolism related to vital and productive...

This book contains 21 chapters on horse reproduction and breeding, including the anatomy and control of reproduction in mares and stallions, physiology and endocrinal control of pregnancy and foaling, lactation, selection and preparation of mares and stallions for breeding, management of the mare...

The resource allocation during production, acclimatization, growth, pregnancy and lactation and the metabolic adaptations to reduced feed intake and heat stress in domestic animals are discussed.

This chapter discusses the feed intake of lactating, growing, dry and pregnant goats, and presents several studies on the prediction of dry matter intake of goats fed indoors and the pasture intake of grazing goats.

In this chapter, a review on the physiological changes associated with the changes in nutrient requirements and intake in ruminants during pregnancy and lactation was discussed. Topics include: oestrus, pregnancy, causes of declining intake in late pregnancy in ruminants, lactation, and...

Mathematical models of pre- and postnatal growth, pregnancy and lactation were combined and implemented using object-orientated computer code to form an energy-based model of a dairy cow. Each simulated cow 'grows', can have a computer pregnancy with multiple offspring, growing its fetuses to term, ...

This chapter discusses the feeding behaviour of piglets, growing pigs, sows and boars. The topics under the feeding behaviour of piglets include the importance of colostrum, effect of the behaviour of sow on the first sucklings, nursing pattern and teat order, internursing interval, factors...

Papers on the physiology and kinetics of protein turnover, i.e. protein synthesis and breakdown, and the different factors that affect it, e.g. diets, diseases (malnutrition and trauma), pregnancy, lactation, hormones and aging, are presented. Also, the different methods for analysing protein...