Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Enterococcus faecium DSM 7,134 supplementation on the performance of sows and their litters. A total of 15 primiparous sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly divided into three treatments with five replicates. Dietary treatments were: CON, basal diet; E1, CON + 0.025% E. faecium; E2, CON + 0.05% E. faecium. No significant differences were observed on body weight and feed intake of lactating sows with E. faecium supplementation, but linearly increased the sow apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N) and gross energy (GE; p < .05), and decreased piglets pre‐weaning mortality (p < .05). Piglets from E. faecium‐supplemented sows linearly increased weaning weight, average daily gain (ADG) and gain:feed ratio (p < .05), as well as linearly decreased diarrhoea score (p < .05) in the first weaning week. Piglets from E. faecium‐supplemented sows linearly increased faecal Lactobacillus and Enterococci counts (p < .05), while linearly decreased faecal Escherichia coli counts (p < .05) after weaning. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of E. faecium improved the ATTD of DM, N and GE in lactating sows, as well as improved body weight, ADG and shifted faecal microbiota in their litters.
Highlights
Probiotics are suggested as desirable antibiotic alternatives to animals by increasing growth performance, nutrient digestibility, enhancing health status and immune regulation (Bontempo, Giancamillo, Savoini, Dell’Orto, & Domeneghini, 2006; Giang, Viet, Ogle, & Lindberg, 2012; Roselli et al, 2005; Stein & Kil, 2006)
The neonatal piglet gastrointestinal tract is almost sterile at birth and is colonized by both bacteria acquired from maternal during birth and environmental bacteria (Baker, Davis, Spencer, Moser, & Rehberger, 2013)
If the digestibility of nutrient in the conventional sow diet can be improved by dietary E. faecium supplementation, total gross energy (GE) available to sows will enhance without increasing feed intake
Summary
Probiotics are suggested as desirable antibiotic alternatives to animals by increasing growth performance, nutrient digestibility, enhancing health status and immune regulation (Bontempo, Giancamillo, Savoini, Dell’Orto, & Domeneghini, 2006; Giang, Viet, Ogle, & Lindberg, 2012; Roselli et al, 2005; Stein & Kil, 2006). Probiotics supplementation in sows’ diet seems to be a useful way in establishing beneficial bacterial species and reducing pathogen load in piglets. Improving feed intake and/or nutrient digestibility may have beneficial effects on sows’ performance. Dietary E. faecium supplementation had beneficial effects on feed intake and weight performance of primiparous sows (Böhmer, Kramer, & RothMaier, 2006), as well as nutrient digestibility of weaning and growing pigs (Yan & Kim, 2013; Zhang et al, 2014). If the digestibility of nutrient in the conventional sow diet can be improved by dietary E. faecium supplementation, total gross energy (GE) available to sows will enhance without increasing feed intake. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of E. faecium supplementation on performance and nutrient digestibility of sows, as well as growth performance and health status of piglets
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