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Effect Of Calcium Source, Dietary Calcium Concentration, And Gestation Phase On Various Bone Characteristics In Gestating Gilts, G. L. Walker, D. M. Danielson, E. R. Peo, Jr., R. F. Mumm

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Sixty gravid crossbred gilts were allotted to a 2 x 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: two Ca sources (sun-cured alfalfa meal and CaC0₃), three dietary concentrations of Ca (50, 75, and 100% of NRC requirements), and two phases of gestation (55 and 105 d). The objectives were to determine the effect of Ca source, dietary Ca concentration, and gestation phase on bone characteristics (bone breaking strength, bone ash percentage, bone density, and bone ash density in the rib, thoracic, and coccygeal bones), to correlate bone responses to determine relative bone activity, and to determine reliability of …