Effect of feeding diets containing deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin)-contaminated wheat or corn on the feed consumption, weight gain, organ weight and sexual development of male and female pigs

Diets containing clean wheat, deoxynivalenol-contaminated wheat and Fusarium-inoculated corn were fed to 23-kg boars and gilts. Twelve Yorkshire pigs were fed the control diet (CW) and 18 each the contaminated-wheat (VW) and the inoculated corn (IC) diets (3.7 and 4.2 mg deoxynivalenol kg −1 respectively) for a 7-wk period, at which time each pig was necropsied. The diets caused a 23–29% reduction in feed consumption with considerable variation among pigs within diets. The VW pigs gained 30% less and the IC pigs 72% less weight than the controls. Differences in performance between boars and gilts were not significant (P > 0.05). Weights of the major body organs at necropsy followed the pattern set by body weights, i.e. CW > VW > IC (except the stomach and uterus), but this relationship did not remain when organ weights were expressed relative to body weight. Dietary differences (P