The Value of Thiouracil in Rations for Growing and Fattening Pigs

Abstract

ASTWOOD (1943) showed that the formation of thyroxine by the thyroid gland can be inhibited by the administration of thiourea and related compounds. The increase of daily gain in weight of the thyroidectomized steers as reported by Andrews and Bullard (1940) of the Purdue Station indicate that these compounds might be useful for fattening pigs. Preliminary tests at the Cornell Station showed that thiourea, fed at the rate of 0.379 grams daily, was unpalatable for fattening lambs, so thiouracil, 3 a similar product, reported to be less soluble in water than thiourea, was used in the tests with pigs. Turner et al. (1944) at Missouri also have reported that pigs dislike thiourea. Data and Discussion First Experiment Three lots of nine pigs each, with an average initial weight of 124 pounds, were self-fed in dry lot from November 1945 until an average final weight of zoo pounds was reached. The pigs in lot I were self-fed a basal ration consisting of 58 pounds of ground yellow corn, 25 pounds of wheat flour middlings, 6 pounds of meat scraps (55 percent protein), io pounds of ground alfalfa hay, and 0.5 pounds each of iodized salt and ground limestone. The pigs in lot II were self-fed the same basal ration plus 0.1 percent thiouracil, and in lot III the basal ration plus 0.2 percent thiouracil (table 1). Copyright © . .