114 Effects of Zinc Supplementation in Gestating Sow Diets on Growth Performance of the Progeny from Birth to Market Reared Under Commercial Conditions

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different Zn supplementation strategies for gestating sows on growth performance of the progeny from birth to market. Pregnant sows (n = 417) were assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design based on parity and body condition. Dietary treatments consisted of: 1) Control (CON), corn- soybean meal-based diet with 125 ppm of Zn/kg diet supplied by ZnO (standard basal diet), for a total daily intake of 250 ppm Zn; 2) Partial Supplementation (PS), CON diet + 625 ppm supplemental Zn top-dressed for a total daily intake of 850 ppm Zn provided from d 80 of gestation up to farrowing; and 3) Total Supplementation (TS), CON diet + 625 ppm supplemental Zn top-dressed for a total daily intake of 850 ppm Zn provided throughout the entire gestation phase. Individual body weight was recorded for all piglets at birth (n = 6,349) and at weaning (n = 5,016). A subgroup of piglets (same gender, housed in same farm) was also individually weighed at the end of nursery phase (n = 1207) and at the end of finishing phase (n = 260). Data were assessed by analysis of variance interpreted at 5 and 10% probability levels, adjusted by the Tukey-Kramer test for multiple comparisons. Piglets born from sows whose diets were supplemented with Zn throughout the entire gestational period (TS) tended (P = 0.10) to be heavier at birth compared with piglets born from CON sows (Table 1). The offspring from TS sows tended (P = 0.09) to have greater average daily weight gains during lactation and were heavier (P = 0.04) at weaning compared with the offspring from CON sows, with the offspring from PS sows being intermediate. Although there was no evidence for differences in nursery average daily weight gain, piglets from TS sows tended (P = 0.10) to be heavier at the end of the nursery compared with piglets from CON sows, with piglets from PS intermediate. Pigs from TS sows had greater (P = 0.003) average daily weight gain during the finishing phase and were heavier (P = 0.03) at slaughter. Only animals from the treatments CON and TS were evaluated at the end of the trial because no evidence for differences (P > 0.10) between CON and PS were found at the end of the nursery phase. In conclusion, Zn supplementation in gestating sow diet fed throughout the entire gestation period optimized the performance of the progeny from birth to market and should be considered as a viable prenatal intervention in commercial production systems.