116 Effect of Crude Protein Level and a Fermentation Product on Sow Reproductive and Piglet Performance

Abstract

Abstract High crude protein (CP, greater than 16%) has traditionally been used in lactating sow diet for milk production. However, excess protein can lead to increased gut permeability and inflammation, resulting in compromised reproductive performance. It was hypothesized that decreased dietary CP, using a fermentation product (FER) or addition of Zinc in the lactation diet would promote better gut health and improve sow reproductive performance. The present study was a randomized block design with 5 treatments, 4 of which formed a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. Gestating sows (n = 550) were enrolled with entry body weight of 209.1 ± 11.4 kg and allotted to one of the following five diets: high CP, no FER; high CP, FER; low CP, no FER; low CP, FER; high CP, ZnSO4 diet. Corn-soy based lactation diet was formulated with high (17.5%) and low (14.5%) CP and with or without FER. High CP with ZnSO4 (360 ppm) was used as a positive control and the added Zn level in the other diets was kept at 120 ppm. All diets were formulated to be at similar net energy and standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lysine (Lys) level with balanced essential amino acid to Lys ratio, except SID isoleucine/Lys was greater in high CP diets. Experimental diets were fed beginning approximately 4 days before farrowing and throughout the entire lactation phase (21 days). Using R, performance data were analyzed using a general linear model and a generalized linear model specifying a binomial distribution was deployed for count data. In summary, dietary treatment did not impact average daily feed intake. Low CP diet resulted in lighter sow weaning weight compared with high CP diet (P < 0.01) and tended to increase piglet average weaning weight (P < 0.10) regardless of FER inclusion. Dietary treatment did not affect the probability of still born or number of weaned pigs. There was an interaction (P < 0.05) between CP and FER on probability of born alive, with low CP, FER diet numerically having greatest probability of born alive. Both low CP (P < 0.10) and high CP with ZnSO4 (P < 0.10) tended to increase livability compared with high CP diet treatment, respectively. High CP with ZnSO4 treatment decreased pre-weaning mortality as compared with high CP treatments (P < 0.05). Conclusively, lower dietary CP led to better reproductive performance in sows and greater piglet weaning weight. The fermentation product did not impact sow or piglet performance as hypothesized, and ZnSO4 used at moderate level in high CP diet reduced pre-weaning mortality.