Glutamine and vitamin A supplementation during critical periods of gestation reduces weight variability in piglets at birth

Abstract

Selection and genetic progress have led to the modification of the female profile, and prolificacy has become the main trait. Consequently, fetal development was affected by the increased number of piglets, resulting in higher uterine competition for nutrients and space. This study aimed to analyze the effects of glutamine and vitamin A supplementation on embryonic and fetal survival and their influence on the reproductive and productive performance of females. We selected 71 females from Large White X Landrace X Meishan X Jianjing crosses from different orders of parturition for uniform distribution between treatments, divided into two groups. Glutamine and vitamin A supplementation during periods considered critical for gestation was effective in terms of placental color, resulting in darker placentas, which could mean higher vascularization. The inclusion of glutamine and vitamin A influenced less variability in stillborn per litter and intra-litter birth weight of liveborn piglets. The treatment did not influence the mean birth weight of piglets but supplementation reduced the percentage of light piglets (≤ 1000 g) in high and low prolificacy females.