Dietary β-hydroxy β-methyl butyrate supplementation of sows improves litter performance and colostrum production in a dose-dependent manner

Abstract

The inclusion of β-hydroxy β-methyl butyrate (HMB) in sow diets can improve sow and piglet pre-weaning performance. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was a dose-dependent effect of HMB supplementation of sows in gestation on litter and piglet performance to weaning and on colostrum production. A total of 140 (Large White × Landrace [JSR Genepacker 90, JSR, UK]) multiparous sows were allocated to one of four treatments. There was a control treatment (CT) which was supplemented with HMB at the following doses to create four treatments: 0 (CT + 0), 5 (CT + 5), 15 (CT + 15) or 45 (CT + 45) mg/kg of the sow’s body weight. Sows were fed their treatments from d 100 of gestation until parturition. Feeding sows increasing doses of HMB increased total live born litter weight and average piglet 24-h weight in a quadratic manner (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively). This quadratic pattern remained significant for litter and piglet weights at week one (P = 0.021 and P = 0.021, respectively) and a trend for litter weights at weaning (P = 0.056). There were quadratic increases in colostrum intake (P = 0.005) and yield (P = 0.004) in response to increased doses of HMB. Additionally, the IgG concentration of colostrum increased linearly up to the highest dose tested (P = 0.002). Mortality within the first 24-h of farrowing was reduced in a quadratic manner (P = 0.045) and this remained a trend at weaning (P = 0.055). Overall, increasing the dose of HMB fed to sows for the last 15 days of gestation increased litter and piglet weights and colostrum yield quadratically and increased colostrum IgG level linearly which in turn contributed towards reduced mortality to weaning.