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Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of receiving diets containing alfalfa meal and certain feed additives on performance of comingled feeder pigs transported 900 to 1,100 kin. In Exp. 1, the inclusion of 9.4% dehydrated alfalfa meal in receiving diets for 2 wk resulted in no difference (P>.I) in gain or feed conversion from purchase to market compared with pigs fed a basal corn-soybean meal (CS) diet or a diet containing 20% ground whole oats (O). In Exp. 2, pigs fed receiving diets containing 10% dehydrated alfalfa meal had no improvement (P>. 1) in gain (.60 vs .61 kg/d) or conversion (3.25 vs 3.17) compared with CS-fed pigs. In Exp. 3, pigs fed a receiving diet for 2 wk containing 10% mid-bloom alfalfa ate more (P<.002) feed daily for 2 wk (.82 vs .76 kg) and overall (P<.04; 1.92 vs 1.85 kg) and had an improved (P<.03) daily gain from purchase to market (.61 vs .59 kg) compared with CS-fed pigs. In Exp. 2, pigs fed diets containing 44 mg/kg tylosin (T) gained similar to pigs fed no additive (O) and slower (P<.01) than pigs fed 110 mg/kg chlortetracycline (CTC; .59, .60 and .63 kg/d), with no significant differences in feed to gain conversion (3.12, 3.23 and 3.18). Pigs fed CTC gained faster overall (P<.04) than did pigs fed 55 mg/kg bacitracin methylene disalycilate (BMD) or the unsupplemented control diet in Exp. 3 (.62, .59 and .58 kg/d), while CTC- and BMD-fed pigs improved (P<.02) in feed conversion (3.11, 3.11 and 3.26). In each experiment, the inclusion of alfalfa meal resulted in a reduction in scours for several days immediately post-arrival. Pigs fed CTC had less scours from d 8 to 14 post-arrival than did the control, T- and BMD-fed pigs. There was no difference (P>.I) in pig death loss in any of the experiments due to experimental treatments.

Four trials were conducted with 1,480 pigs (initial wt: 23 kg in trial 1, 29 kg in trial 2 and 49 kg in trial 3 and 4) to determine the effect of dietary fat on pig performance, nutrient separation in an automated feed distribution system, dust levels in swine buildings and integrity of the respiratory system of swine. Two modified-open-front (B-1 and B-2) and two environmentally regulated (E-1 and E-2) growing-finishing buildings, of identical design, were used in each trial. In trial 1,250 pigs (25 pens of 10 pigs/pen) in B-1 were fed a ground, mixed, corn-soybean meal diet (15% crude protein) with added tallow (5%), and 250 pigs in B-2 were fed the same diet but without added tallow. The assignment of diets to buildings were reversed in trial 2 in which 2.5% tallow was used instead of 5%. Each diet was fed ad libitum to pigs, and was distributed by an automated "Flexauger" system in trials 1 and 2. In each of trials 3 and 4, 120 pigs (12 pens of 10 pigs/pen) in E-1 were fed a corn-soybean meal diet (14% crude protein) with added tallow (5%) and 120 pigs in E-2 were fed the same diet but without added tallow. Overall, pigs fed the diet with tallow gained faster (P<.O02), consumed less feed (P<.02) and converted feed more efficiently (P<.OO2) than those fed the diet without tallow in trials 1 and 2. Pig performance was also improved by the addition of tallow to the diet in trims 3 and 4 (P<.O02). Crude protein, Ca, P and Ca contents of both diets were similar at each location sampled throughout the automated distribution system in trials 1 and 2. Addition of tallow to the diets reduced aerial dust levels, both with the feed distribution auger running (P<.002) and without the auger running (P=.06) in trials 1 and 2. In trials 3 and 4, adding 5% tallow to the diet reduced aerial dust concentrations of particle sizes of 14, 4, and 1.5 Wm (P<.O02) and .4/~m (P=.07). The amount of settled dust was lower (P<.O01, trials 1, 3 and 4) when tallow was included in the diet. T

Three experiments of 5 wk duration were conducted to evaluate the effect of reduced nocturnal temperatures (RNT) on weaned pig performance. Treatments were 1) a control regimen (CR) of 30 C constant air temperature lowered 2 C/wk and 2) a regimen where the temperature from 1900 to 0700 h was lowered to 25 C for three nights followed by 20 C for four nights during the first week and then lowered 1 C/wk thereafter (RNT). Weaned pigs averaging 23 ± 2 d of age at the start of the experiments gained faster (P<.01) in the RNT treatment vs the CR treatment in Exp. 1, 2 and 3, respectively (.32 vs .28; .39 vs .37; .35 vs .34 kg/d). The improvement in gain was accompanied by an increase (P<.005) in feed intake for the same period (.48 vs .44; .61 vs .55;.58 vs .54 kg/d). There was no difference in feed conversion. Weaned pigs that were 1.9 to 2.3 kg lighter initially gained slower (P<.0005) compared with their heavier contemporaries (.27 vs .33; .33 vs .43 and .31 vs .33 kg/d) in Exp. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, This reduced gain was accompanied by a reduced (P<.0005) feed intake (.40 vs .51; .50 vs .66; .50 vs .62 kg/d). There was no interaction of initial weight and temperature regimen.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of source of pig, housing system and receiving diet on performance of purchased feeder pigs. Pigs purchased from distant auction markets (DM) gained slower for the first 13 d post-arrival (P<.01, trials 1 and 2) than pigs of similar size purchased from local, one-owner sources (LS).