Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T10:26:51.453Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Experimental design for comparative digestibility trials with pigs: limitations of Latin squares

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

P. W. Goedhart
P. W. Goedhart
Affiliation:
Agricultural Mathematics Group, PO Box 100, 6700 AC Wageningen, The Netherlands
Get access

Abstract

In comparative digestibility trials with growing pigs Latin squares are widely used as experimental designs. In this paper conditions for the application of Latin squares are explicitly stated and checked with real data. Data were collected at the Institute for Livestock Feeding and Nutrition Research in the Netherlands and consisted of digestibility trials run on pigs of 40 to 100 kg live weight. There is strong evidence for a certain form of period × animal interaction in the data. This may seriously affect estimates of treatment effects and results of significance tests. It is concluded that Latin squares are unsuitable for comparative digestibility trials with pigs growing from 40 to 100 kg. When there is no interest in statistical comparison of the diets under study, Latin squares can still be used. Some suggestions for alternative designs are given.

Keywords

digestibilityexperimental designpigs
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 50 , Issue 2 , April 1990 , pp. 373 - 378
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Cochran, W. G. and Cox, G. M. 1957. Experimental Designs. 2nd ed. Wiley, New York.Google Scholar
Jongbloed, A. W. 1987. Phosphorus in the feeding of pigs. Rapport IVVO nr. 179, Institute for Livestock Feeding and Nutrition Research, Lelystad, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Mead, R. 1988. The Design of Experiments, Statistical Principles for Practical Application. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Weerden, E. J. van, Slump, P., Leeuwen, P. van and Huisman, J. 1988. Darm- en mestverteerbaarheid van aminozuren bij varkens (1980-1987). ILOB Rapport nr. 599, Institute for Animal Nutrition Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar