Effects of Additional Feed during Late Gestation on Reproductive Performance of Sows: A Cooperative Study

Abstract

A cooperative research study involving 1,080 litters was conducted at eight stations to determine the effects of additional feed during the last 23 d of gestation on reproductive performance of sows and on preweaning performance of their pigs. Primiparous and multiparous sows were fed fortified corn- or sorghum-soybean meal diets (14% crude protein). Control sows received 1.82 kg/d from March through November and 2.27 kg/d from December through February. Treated sows were fed an additional 1.36 kg of feed/d from d 90 of gestation to farrowing. Sows were allowed to consume the same diet ad libitum during a 21-d lactation. Additional feed in late gestation resulted in greater (P less than .001) sow weight gain from d 90 to d 110 of gestation (16.8 vs 9.0 kg) and greater (P less than .001) parturition-lactation weight loss (21.3 vs 16.4 kg). Total weight gain from breeding to 21 d of lactation favored sows that received extra feed (27.5 vs 22.7 kg; P less than .001). Sows receiving extra feed had more live pigs at farrowing (10.05 vs 9.71, P = .06) and at 21 d postpartum (8.35 vs 8.06, P = .09), and the pigs were heavier at birth (1.48 vs 1.44 kg, P = .003) and at 21 d (5.37 vs 5.20 kg, P = .006). Lactation feed intake and number of days from weaning to estrus were not affected by treatment. The results indicate that additional feed in late gestation improves reproductive performance in sows. In this study, the cost of an additional 31 kg of feed/sow was more than offset by the value of the additional sow weight gain (approximately 5 kg), the additional .3 of a pig/litter at weaning and the additional 2.6 kg of total litter weaning weight.

Growth and development of offspring following supplementation of sow diets with oil during mid to late gestation

“…Increasing the feed intake of sows during gestation results in increased piglet weight at birth (Cromwell et al, 1989). In the present study, piglets born to E sows were the heaviest at birth, in contrast no difference was observed in the birth weight of piglets born to oil supplemented sows, when compared with the offspring of the C group; these results suggest that the energy to protein ratio of the sow's diet may be as important as the energy content.…”

Metanálise da relação entre espessura de toicinho e variáveis corporais e reprodutivas de porcas gestantes e lactantes

“…O PV dos leitões apresentou correlação com ET de 0,18 (P=0,02), correlação com ET aos sete dias de 0,81 (P=0,05), correlação com ET aos 14 dias de 0,61 (P=0,08) e correlação com ET ao desmame de -0,15 (P=0,04). O maior consumo de ração e/ou energia pelas porcas no final do período de gestação aumenta o peso dos leitões ao nascimento (CROMWELL et al, 1989). Cada quilograma de ganho de peso total da porca na gestação resulta em 50g de peso adicional da leitegada ao nascimento (COOPER et al, 2001b).…”

“…Cada quilograma de ganho de peso total da porca na gestação resulta em 50g de peso adicional da leitegada ao nascimento (COOPER et al, 2001b). Leitões mais pesados ao nascimento podem ganhar até 170g a mais no peso ao desmame (CROMWELL et al, 1989).…”

Effects of sow nutrition during gestation on within-litter birth weight variation: a review

“…Similarly, Cromwell et al (1989) concluded that additional feed in late gestation (11.36 kg of feed/day from day 90 of gestation to farrowing) improves the reproductive performance. The results showed a greater total litter weight at birth (15.06 v. 14.36 kg), an increased weaning weight (5.37 v. 5.20 kg) and increased individual birth weight (1.48 v. 1.44 kg) in sows fed extra amounts of feed when compared with a control group.…”