278 Feeding a whole-cell inactivated Pichia guilliermondi yeast to gestating and lactating sows over two consecutive parities

Abstract

Abstract A total of 535 sows and their progeny (PIC 359×1050) were used to determine the effect of feeding gestating and lactating sows a proprietary strain of Pichia guilliermondi as a whole-cell inactivated yeast product (WCY; CitriStim, ADM Animal Nutrition, Quincy, IL) on sow and litter performance in a commercial production system. Within 24 hours of breeding, sows were allotted to 1 of 2 dietary treatments. Parity distribution was equalized across treatments. Sows were fed either a basal gestation control (CON) diet or CON fortified with 0.1% (0.91 kg/ton) of the WCY at the expense of corn throughout gestation. Sow dietary treatments were also maintained through lactation. Of the 535 sows that completed the initial reproductive cycle (cycle 1), 358 sows were maintained on dietary treatment and followed through a second gestation and lactation (cycle 2). The direction and magnitude of the differences in total born and born alive pigs in cycle 1 and cycle 2 was similar between treatments. Supplementing sows with WCY in cycle 1 increased the number of total born pigs by 0.59 pigs/litter (P=0.038) and tended to increase the number of pigs born alive by 0.52 pigs/litter (P=0.064) compared to CON fed sows. For cycle 2, the total number of born and born alive pigs numerically increased by 0.44 pigs/litter (P=0.180) and 0.43 pigs/litter (P=0.179) respectively for sows fed WCY. The distribution of pig birth weights was not different between treatments in cycle 1 (P=0.536) nor cycle 2 (P=0.256). Also, the litter growth rate on a weight gain per pig per day basis was not different between treatments in cycle 1 (P=0.103) nor cycle 2 (P=0.379). In conclusion, feeding gestating and lactating sows a proprietary strain of Pichia guilliermondi as a whole-cell inactivated yeast product significantly increased the number of total born pigs during cycle 1.