Feed transition between gestation and lactation is exhibited earlier in sows fed a high-fiber diet during gestation1

Abstract

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.

Effects of timing and size of meals prior to farrowing on sow and litter performance

“…In the current study, it may be suggested that sows consuming feed ad libitum prior to farrowing were pre-conditioned to eat larger meals and transitioned more rapidly to consuming feed ad libitum in lactation compared with sows restricted fed prior to farrowing. In support of this, Guillemet et al (2010) observed a quicker transition to lactation diets when sows were fed a high fiber (12.8% crude fiber) during gestation compared with a low fiber diet (3.5% crude fiber). The increase in lactation diet intake may be a factor of already consuming a greater amount of feed during gestation to maintain similar net energy to sows with low fiber diets.…”

“…This result would suggest that increased frequency and a smaller meal size prior to farrowing had a positive impact on the sow’s ability to expel piglets without assistance, which would be similar to observations by Feyera et al (2018) . Although sows fed on an ad libitum basis were encouraged to consume a meal every 6 h prior to farrowing and had 24 h access to feed, perhaps they ate fewer large meals and had not consumed a meal as frequently as those that were restricted to 0.68 kg every 6 h. Indeed, Guillemet et al (2010) noted that sows prefer to work for food compared with ad libitum access, which demonstrates a change in feeding behavior when sows receive free access to feed.…”

Review: Nutrient requirements of the modern high-producing lactating sow, with an emphasis on amino acid requirements

“…Oliviero et al (2009) demonstrated that increased fibre feeding pre-farrowing (7% v. 3.8% crude fibre) reduced constipation around parturition. Guillemet et al (2010) observed that sows fed a high-fibre diet in gestation (12.8% v. 3.5% crude fibre) transitioned more rapidly to a nutrient-dense lactation diet and tended to lose less backfat during the lactation period. However, fibre inclusion during the last 8 to 10 days before farrowing has not been shown to impact birthweight, litter gain, colostrum yield or metabolic criteria of the sow (Loisel et al, 2013;.…”

Dietary supplementation with different types of fiber in gestation and lactation: effects on sow serum biochemical values and performance

“…Recently, Meunier-Salaün and colleagues [ 5 ] summarized and concluded that provision of dietary fibers during gestation generally has a beneficial effect on the behavior and welfare of sows which are restricted-fed. Moreover, sows fed with a high-fiber diet during gestation can manage their own feed transition, choosing the lactation diet spontaneously in the week preceding parturition [ 6 ]. This indicates that a high-fiber gestation diet promotes early intake of the lactation diet.…”