Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of calcium (Ca) levels in
weanling pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc). In experiment 1, one
hundred and eighty weanling pigs were randomly allotted to one of the three
treatments. The treatments were low (Ca 0.60% in phase 1 and 0.50% in phase 2),
standard (Ca 0.72% in phase 1 and 0.66% in phase 2), and high (Ca 0.84% in phase
1 and 0.72% in phase 2). In experiment 2, hundred and forty weanling pigs were
randomly assigned to one of four treatments differing in Ca levels (high and
low) and sources (CaCl
2
and CaCO
3
) in a 2 × 2
factorial arrangement. There were 10 pigs per replicate in both experiments,
with 6 replicates in each treatment, and they were conducted in two phases
(phase 1, days 0–14; phase 2, days 15–28). In experiment 1, body
weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), and growth to feed ratio (G/F) increased
as the Ca level decreased (
p
< 0.05). P digestibility
was higher in the low-Ca diet group than in the high-Ca diet group
(
p
<0.05). In experiment 2, the final BW, ADG, and
G/F increased in the CaCl
2
diet group compared with the case in the
CaCO
3
diet group (
p
< 0.05). The
digestibility of crude protein (CP), Ca, and P was higher in the
CaCl
2
diet group than in the CaCO
3
diet group
(
p
< 0.05). Cl
−
levels were higher
in the CaCl
2
diet group than in the CaCO
3
diet group
(
p
< 0.05). The bicarbonate
(HCO
3
−
), base excess (BE), and electrolyte
balance (EB) levels were lower in the CaCl
2
diet group than in the
CaCO
3
diet group (
p
< 0.05). Hematocrit
increased as the Ca level decreased (
p
< 0.05). The
HCO
3
−
interacted with the Ca sources and thus,
affected the Ca levels (
p
< 0.05). Bone ash, Ca, and P
were downregulated in the low-Ca diet group compared with the case in the
high-Ca diet group. Overall, the low dietary Ca supplementation led to greater
growth performance. Furthermore, CaCl
2
appeared to be a better Ca
source than CaCO
3
because of the greater digestibility of CP, Ca, and
P, and improved EB.