Feed allowance and maternal backfat levels during gestation influence maternal cortisol levels, milk fat composition and offspring growth

Abstract

The fetal and early postnatal environment can have a long-term influence on offspring growth. Using a pig model, we investigated the effects of maternal body condition (thin or fat) and maternal gestation feeding level (restricted, control or high) on maternal stress, milk composition, litter size, piglet birth weight and pre-weaning growth. A total of sixty-eight thin (backfat depth about 8 mm) and seventy-two fat (backfat depth about 12 mm) gilts were selected at about 22 weeks. This backfat difference was then accentuated nutritionally up to service at about 32 weeks. During gestation, individual gilts from within each group were randomly allocated to a gestation diet at the following feed allowances: 1·8 kg/d (restricted); 2·5 kg/d (control) and 3·5 kg/d (high) until day 90 of gestation. During gestation restricted gilts had higher levels of cortisol than high and control fed animals. Piglets born to fat gilts had higher average daily gain during the lactation period and higher weaning weights at day 28 than piglets born to thin gilts. Gilts on a high feed level had heavier piglets than those provided with restricted and control allocations. Fat gilts had less saturated fat in their milk at day 21 of lactation and higher unsaturated fat levels. No differences were found in the n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio in the milk between thin and fat gilts. In conclusion, maternal body condition influenced the daily weight gain of offspring up to weaning (day 28) and milk fat composition. Furthermore, maternal feed level during gestation alters maternal cortisol levels and milk fat composition.

Maternal backfat depth in gestating sows has a greater influence on offspring growth and carcass lean yield than maternal feed allocation during gestation

“…Positive correlations between sow body weight and piglet birth weight have recently been observed by Lewis and Bunter (2011). Interestingly, in the current study Fat gilts had a 25% increase in milk fat at day 21 of lactation than Thin gilts (Amdi et al, 2013), which may have contributed to the increased piglet weight gain. In agreement with our results, Long et al (2010), found that offspring born from obese ewes, consumed 10% more feed than offspring born from control ewes when the offspring where ad libitum fed over a 12-week period from 19.5 ± 0.5 months of age.…”

“…The effect of the gilt feed level during pregnancy on offspring growth and physiological parameters Gilts fed Restricted feed levels during gestation gave birth to lighter piglets (Amdi et al, 2013), most likely due to inadequate nutrition in utero, as previously seen in sheep (Redmer et al, 2004). Restricted gilts had lower concentrations of IGF-1 than Control and High feed level gilts.…”

“…Although the offspring from obese rats were crossfostered to lean dams at birth, they still exhibited increased adiposity (1.6-fold) and insulin resistance later in life compared with offspring from lean dams (Shankar et al, 2008). Others have also demonstrated the effect of maternal body condition in rats on placental and fetal growth (Akyol et al, 2012;Amdi et al, 2013), and studies in humans show that babies born from obese women are more likely to be obese in childhood and adulthood (Whitaker, 2004;Koupil and Toivanen, 2007). However, it has also been argued that maternal nutrition has a greater effect than maternal obesity.…”

“…Nitric oxide functions as an endogenous vasodilator (Tsukahara et al, 1994) resulting in higher blood flow to the placenta, thereby increasing nutrient availability to the foetus (Reynolds et al, 2010). Therefore, the fact that Restricted gilts with low IGF-1 concentrations gave birth to the lightest piglets (Amdi et al, 2013), may not simply be a result of restricted nutrient supply but also due to decreased blood flow across the placenta. Piglets born from gilts fed a Restricted or Control feed level during gestation had the lowest cortisol response to a handling stress on day 49 post-weaning.…”

“…The backfat depth at farrowing was 14.4 ± 0.34 mm for Thin gilts and 19.0 ± 0.34 mm for Fat gilts (Amdi et al, 2013). Gilts were housed individually in national pig development company type farrowing crates (O'Donovan Engineering) with hinged bottom bars in farrowing rooms with 10 gilts per room.…”