Performance of growing-finishing pigs fed diets containing YieldGard Rootworm corn (MON 863), a nontransgenic genetically similar corn, or conventional corn hybrids

Two studies were conducted at two loca- tions to evaluate growth performance and carcass char- acteristics of growing-finishing pigs fed diets containing either YieldGard Rootworm corn (MON 863), a non- transgenic genetically similar corn (RX670), or two con- ventional nontransgenic corn hybrids (DK647 and RX740). A randomized complete block design with a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments (two genders and four corn hybrids) was used. Study 1 used 72 bar- rows and 72 gilts (progeny of Danbred sires × (Danbred × NE White line) dams grown from 22.7 to 117.0 kg BW). Pigs were housed in a modified open-front building in single-gender groups of six (six pens per dietary treat- ment). Study 2 used 80 barrows and 80 gilts (progeny of PIC 337 sires × C22 dams) grown from 29.5 to 114.9 kg BW. Pigs were housed in an environmentally con- trolled finishing building in single-gender groups of five (eight pens per dietary treatment). The test corns were