Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T01:53:52.876Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Ad libitum lactation feeding of sows introduced immediately before, at, or after farrowing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. Neil
M. Neil
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Funbo-Lövsta Research Station, S-755 97 Uppsala, Sweden
Get access

Abstract

The timing for introducing ad libitum lactation feeding around farrowing was studied in an experiment comprising 20 blocks of three littermate sows and a total of 1085 piglets in 90 farrowings. Sows were given 2·2 kg daily of a diet containing 12·1 MJ metabolizable energy and 120 g digestible crude protein per kgfrom service until ad libitum feeding was introduced either 4 days before expected farrowing (treatment BEF), the farrowing day (AT), or 3 days after farrowing (AFT). BEF and AT sows had a higher total daily food consumption during the experimental period, 5 days before farrowing to weaning at 35 (±3) days, than AFT sows (7·2, 7·2 and 6·6 kg, respectively). BEF and AT sows tended to have deeper ultrasonic backfat (BF) than AFT sows. The mobilization of body reserves during lactation was modest as reflected in negligible losses of live weight (LW) and BF, low serum concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids and creatinine, together with increasing serum urea concentrations as well as the high proportion of sows served within 8 days after weaning (over 90% of the primiparous sows). Sow rectal temperature increased on the farrowing day but was also influenced by feeding level. No cases of agalactia post partum were diagnosed. Litter size, piglet LW, piglet mortality and creep food consumption did not differ between treatments, although there was a tendency for lower LW and increased mortality, particularly of piglets crushed by the sow, in litters of AFT sows. It can be concluded that there was no advantage in delaying the introduction of ad libitumfeeding until after farrowing.

Keywords

backfatfood intakemetabolitespigletssows
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 63 , Issue 3 , December 1996 , pp. 497 - 505
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aherne, F. X. and Kirkwood, R. N. 1985. Nutrition and sow prolificacy. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 33: (suppl. 169–183.Google ScholarPubMed
Baidoo, S. K., Lythgoe, E. S., Kirkwood, R. N., Aherne, F. X. and Foxcroft, G. R. 1992. Effect of lactation feed intake on endocrine status and metabolite levels in sows. Canadian journal ofAnimal Science. 72: 799–807.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bondar, R. J. L. and Mead, D. C. 1974. Evaluation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides in the hexokinase method for determining glucose in serum. Clinical Chemistry. 20: 586–590.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coffey, M. T., Diggs, B. G., Handlin, D. L., Knabe, D. A., Maxwell, C. V., Noland, P. R., Prince, T. J. and Cromwell, G. L. 1994. Effects of dietary energy during gestation and lactation on reproductive performance of sows: a cooperative study, journal ofAnimal Science. 72: 4–9.Google ScholarPubMed
Cole, D. J. A. 1990. Nutritional strategies to optimize reproduction in pigs. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 40: (suppl.) 67–82.Google Scholar
Custer, E. M., Myers, J. L., Poffenbarger, P. L. and Schoen, I. 1983. The storage stability of 3-hydroxybutyrate in serum, plasma, and whole blood. American Journal of Clinical Pathology. 80: 375–380.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Danielsen, V., Eklundh Larsen, A. and Nielsen, H. E. 1983. Fodring av diegivende søer efter ædelyst. Statens Husdyrbrugforsøg, Meddelelser 494.Google Scholar
Dourmad, J. Y. 1991. Effect of feeding level in the gilt during pregnancy on voluntary feed intake during lactation and changes in body composition during gestation and lactation. Livestock Production Science. 27: 309–319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duncombe, W. G. 1964. The colorimetric micro-determination of non-esterified fatty acids in plasma. Clinica Chimica Ada 9: 122–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dyck, G. W. and Swierstra, E. E. 1987. Causes of piglet death from birth to weaning. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. 67: 543–547.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eisenweiner, H.-G. 1976. Kinetische Bestimmung des Harnstoffes mit dem LKB-System. Journal of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistry. 14: 261–264.Google Scholar
English, P. R. 1970. A comparison of two sow-feeding systems from 5 days before to 7 days after farrowing. Animal Production 12: 375 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Fabiny, D. L. and Ertinghausen, G. 1971. Automated reaction-rate method for determination of serum creatinine with the CentrifiChem. Clinical Chemistry. 17: 696–700.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Göransson, L. 1984. Förslag till ny utfodringsnorm till suggor. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Information Centre, Fakta-Husdjur no. 3.Google Scholar
Goransson, L. 1989. The effect of feed allowance in late pregnancy on the occurrence of agalactia post partum in the sow. journal of Veterinary Medicine A. 36: 505–513.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hulten, F., Neil, M., Einarsson, S. and Hakansson, J. 1993. Energy metabolism during late gestation and lactation in multiparous sows in relation to backfat thickness and the interval from weaning to first oestrus. Ada Veterinaria Scandinavka. 34: 9–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lynch, P. B. 1989. Voluntary food intake of sows and gilts. In The voluntary food intake of pigs (ed. Forbes, J. M., Varley, M. A. and Lawrence, T. L. J.), pp. 71–77. Occasional publication no. 13, British Society of Animal Production.Google Scholar
Megraw, R. E., Dunn, D. E. and Biggs, H. G. 1979. Manual and continuous-flow colorimetry of triacylglycerols by a fully enzymic method. Clinical Chemistry. 25: 273–278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moser, R. L., Cornelius, S. G., Pettigrew, J. E., Hanke, H. E., Heeg, T. R. and Miller, K. P. 1987. Influence of postpartum feeding method on performance of the lactating sow. Livestock Production Science. 16: 91–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mullan, B. P. 1991. The catabolism of fat and lean by sows during lactation. Pig News and Information. 12: 221–225.Google Scholar
Mullan, B. P. and Williams, I. H. 1989. The effect of body reserves at farrowing on the reproductive performance of first-litter sows. Animal Production. 48: 449–457.Google Scholar
Neil, M. and Ogle, B. 1996. A two-diet system and ad libitum lactation feeding of the sow. 2. Litter size and piglet performance. Animal Science. 62: 349–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neil, M., Ogle, B. and Anner, K. 1996. A two-diet system and ad libitum lactation feeding of the sow. 1. Sow performance. Animal Science. 62: 337–347.Google Scholar
Noblet, J., Dourmad, J. Y. and Etienne, M. 1990. Energy utilization in pregnant and lactating sows: modeling of energy requirements. Journal ofAnimal Science. 68: 562–572Google ScholarPubMed
Persson, A., Pedersen, A. E., Goransson, L. and Kuhl, W. 1989. A long term study on the health status and performance of sows on different feed allowances during late pregnancy. I. Clinical observations, with special reference to agalactia post partum. Ada Veterinaria Scandinavka. 30: 9–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prunier, A., Dourmad, J. Y. and Etienne, M. 1993. Feeding level, metabolic parameters and reproductive performance of primiparous sows. Livestock Production Science. 37: 185–196.Google Scholar
Reese, D. E., Moser, B. D., Peo, E. R., Lewis, A. J., Zimmerman, D. R., Kinder, J. E. and Stroup, W. W. 1982a. Influence of energy intake during lactation on the interval from weaning to first estrus in sows. Journal of Animal Science. 55: 590–598.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reese, D. E., Moser, B. D., Peo, E. R., Lewis, A. J., Zimmerman, D. R., Kinder, J. E. and Stroup, W. W. 1982b. Influence of energy intake during lactation on subsequent gestation, lactation and postweaning performance of sows. Journal ofAnimal Science 55: 867–872.Google Scholar
Ringarp, N. 1960. Clinical and experimental investigations into a post-parturient syndrome with agalactia in the sow. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavka 7: (suppl.).Google Scholar
Rojkittikhun, T., Einarsson, E., Uvnäs-Moberg, K. and Edqvist, L.-E. 1993. Body weight loss during lactation in relation to energy and protein metabolism in standard-fed primiparous sows. Journal of Veterinary Medicine A. 40: 249–257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schams, D., Kraetzl, W.-D., Brem, G. and Graf, F. 1994. Secretory patterns of metabolic hormones in the lactating sow. Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology. 102: 439–447.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simonsson, A. 1994. Näringsrekommendationer och fodermedelstabeller till svin. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Research Information Centre, Husdjur 75.Google Scholar
Smith, B. B., Martineau, G. and Bisaillon, A. 1992. Mammary glands and lactation problems. In Diseases of swine, seventh edition (ed. Leman, A. D.), pp. 40–61. Wolfe Publishing.Google Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1989. SAS/STAT® user's guide, version 6, 4th edition, vol. 2. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Sterning, M., Rydhmer, L., Eliasson, L., Einarsson, S. and Andersson, K. 1990. A study on primiparous sows of the ability to show standing oestrus and to ovulate after weaning. Influences of loss of body weight and backfat during lactation and of litter size, litter weight gain and season. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavka. 31: 227–236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Svendsen, J., Svendsen, L. S. and Bengtsson, A.-C. 1986. Reducing perinatal mortality in pigs. In Current therapy in theriogenology 2 (ed. Morrow, D. A.), pp. 939–946. Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Weldon, W. C., Lewis, A. J., Louis, G. F., Kovar, J. L., Giesemann, M. A. and Miller, P. S. 1994. Postpartum hypophagia in primiparous sows. I. Effects of gestation feeding level on feed intake, feeding behavior, and plasma metabolite concentrations during lactation. Journal of Animal Science. 72: 387–394.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Young, L. G., King, G. J., Walton, J. S., MacMillan, I., Klevorick, M. and Shaw, J. 1990. Gestation energy and reproduction in sows over four parities. Canadian Journal Animal Science. 70: 493–506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar