The underconsumption of feed frequently observed in young sows during lactation can result from an adaptation problem of the sow to the new feeding management in terms of diet composition and feeding amount. Our study aimed to investigate how the sow manages her own feed transition when given the choice between the gestation diet and the lactation diet from moving into the farrowing crate (12 d before farrowing) until the second week postpartum. The effect of adding dietary fiber to the gestation diet on this transition was also evaluated. During gestation, 16 primiparous sows (Large White x Landrace) were fed 2.4 kg/d of a control (CON) diet (3.5% of crude fiber), or 2.9 kg/d of a high-fiber (HF) diet (12.8% of crude fiber). The daily allowance of NE was 24 MJ in both treatments. Twelve days before the expected parturition day (d -12), sows were moved into farrowing crates that were equipped with a computerized feeding device allowing the gestation and lactation diets to be supplied via 2 rewarded push buttons placed above the trough, until d 14 postpartum. The feeding transition was evaluated through the daily ratio of ingestion of the lactation diet. Feeding behavior was measured through daily feed and energy intakes, number of daily meals, meal size, and the nycthemeral distribution of feeding activity. Sows were weighed and backfat thickness was measured at the beginning and end of gestation and lactation. Piglets were weighed every week from birth until weaning. The transition to the lactation diet occurred earlier in HF sows (P < 0.05); the 50% threshold of lactation diet ingestion was reached on d -8 and 12 in HF and CON sows, respectively. Dietary treatment did not affect the feeding pattern, and all sows presented a diurnal feeding activity. During lactation, there was an interaction (P < 0.05) between the hour of the day and the dietary treatment for the distribution of pushes on the rewarded buttons, with pushes being more spread out throughout the day in CON sows compared with HF sows. Variations in sow backfat thickness were not affected by dietary treatment, but HF sows lost more BW during lactation (P < 0.05). Growth of piglets was not affected by dietary treatment. In conclusion, sows chose the lactation diet spontaneously on the week preceding parturition when they were fed a fibrous diet during gestation. This highlights the possible impact of such a gestation diet to promote early intake of the lactation diet.

Many healthcare professionals and their patients are aware of the importance of proper nutrition during pregnancy, but may not be aware of specific nutritional recommendations on how to achieve a healthy pregnancy outcome. This review article aims to discuss the implications maternal nutritional status and weight gain have in both the short and long terms. Babies born to mothers with inadequate weight gain are more likely to be premature and small for gestational age (SGA). They are also predisposed to obesity and metabolic problems later in life. Women with excessive weight gain during pregnancy are at increased risk for developing type II diabetes later in life. Their offspring also have increased body fat as babies and during childhood. Pregnant women need to be informed about appropriate weight gain and how to achieve this, and should be given specific nutritional recommendations and weight-gain goals.

No abstract