Effects of supplementing sow diets during two gestations with konjac flour and Saccharomyces boulardii on constipation in peripartal period, lactation feed intake and piglet performance

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of supplementation of konjac flour (KF) and Saccharomyces boulardii (SB) either alone or in combination to sow gestation diets over two successive reproductive cycles on constipation in peripartal period, quality of colostrum and milk, lactation feed intake of sows and piglet performance in the second reproductive cycle. Multiparous large white sows (n=144) were assigned randomly to one of four experimental treatments: the control diet; 2.2% KF diet; 0.01% SB diet; or 1.2% KF plus 0.01% SB diet. Sows from all four groups were restrict-fed with their respective diets during gestation and offered feed ad libitum during lactation. The sows remained on the dietary treatments for two reproductive cycles. However, at the end of the first reproductive cycle, some piglets in the experiment were affected by acute diarrhea and analysis of partial results of those which were not infected showed no treatment effects. The results for the second reproductive cycle showed that dietary treatments had no effect on body weight, backfat thickness, weaning-to-estrus interval, fecal moisture content or the composition of colostrum or milk. However, sows fed the three supplemented diets had higher fecal scores on day 113 of gestation (P<0.05), days 4 (P<0.01) and 5 (P<0.05) of lactation than their control counterparts. Supplementation of the diets with SB and KF plus SB also reduced fecal counts for Clostridium and Escherichia coli (P<0.01) while supplementation of the diet with KF increased fecal Lactobacillus counts and reduced Clostridium counts (P<0.01). Sows fed the three supplemented diets also ate more feed during lactation (P<0.05) and weaned significantly heavier pigs (P<0.01) than those fed the control diet.