Feeding Conjugated Linoleic Acid without a Combination of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids during Late Gestation and Lactation Improves Pre-Weaning Survival Rates of Gilt and Sow Progeny.

Jessica Craig,Erin Ford,Jeremy Cottrell,Frank Dunshea,John Pluske,Udani Wijesiriwardana

doi:10.3390/ani9020062

Jessica Craig, Erin Ford + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9020062

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Abstract

Simple SummaryA number of feeding strategies have been used in attempts to improve performance of progeny born to primiparous sows, which are born lighter, grow slower, and have higher rates of mortality than progeny born to older sows. The current study examined whether feeding conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) or a commercial medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) product alone or in combination to primiparous and multiparous sows improved pre-weaning growth and survival of their progeny. Feeding CLA or MCFA failed to improve reproductive performance of primiparous or multiparous sows or the performance of their progeny during lactation, and there was no added benefit of feeding these products for gilt progeny. However, feeding CLA alone improved the survival of gilt and sow progeny. Further examination of the different inclusion levels and the timing of CLA feeding may be required in order for the use of this additive to be more efficacious.Feeding conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) or medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) to dams has been shown to improve progeny growth and survival, and hence may be particularly advantageous to gilt progeny. Primiparous (n = 129) and multiparous sows (n = 123; parities 3 and 4) were fed one of four diets from day 107 of gestation (107.3 ± 0.1 days) until weaning (day 27.2 ± 0.1 of lactation): (i) control diet; (ii) 0.5% CLA diet; (iii) 0.1% MCFA diet; and (iv) equal parts of (ii) and (iii). Progeny performance data were collected and, from a subset of sows (n = 78) and their piglets (n = 144), a colostrum (day 0), milk (day 21), and piglet serum sample (day 3) were analyzed for immunoglobulin G and several selected metabolites. Liveborn pre-weaning mortality tended to be lowest (p = 0.051) in piglets from sows fed 0.5% CLA. However, sows fed the CLA diet had more (p = 0.005) stillbirths than those on the other diets. There were few effects of diet or the dam parity x diet interaction (p ≥ 0.05) on other parameters. Overall, feeding CLA or MCFA did not improve the performance of primiparous sows, multiparous sows, or their progeny.

Highlights

Seven primiparous and eight multiparous sows were removed for management and health reasons after weaning; subsequent mating data were not available for these animals
The number of days from day 107 of gestation to farrowing was used as a covariate in the analysis of dam P2 and body weight (BW) at weaning, subsequent gestation length, piglet serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration, litter weight at day 21, and number of piglets weaned (NW) in the experimental litter, as it made a significant (p < 0.05) contribution to the model, and the number of days from entry to weaning was used as a covariate in the analysis of dam BW change in lactation
Differences between studies may be due to variation in a number of factors, such as timing of colostrum collection [25], udder section sampled [26], and multiparous sow parities included in the study [27], as colostrum IgG concentrations have been shown to be very sensitive to such differences in collection methodology

Summary

Introduction

Feeding higher levels of lipids during late gestation and lactation may be an effective way to improve growth of suckling pigs through increasing energy available in colostrum and milk [1,2,3].Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) refers to a group of positional and geometrical isomers of linoleic acid (18:2) that, when fed to the dam in late gestation and (or) lactation, has been shown to alter the fatty acid (FA) profiles of colostrum and milk [4,5,6] and improve the growth performance of progeny [6,7,8,9].piglets born to sows fed CLA have shown improved circulating immunoglobulin G (IgG)concentrations, suggesting a role of CLA for improved passive immunity [4,8,10]. Feeding higher levels of lipids during late gestation and lactation may be an effective way to improve growth of suckling pigs through increasing energy available in colostrum and milk [1,2,3]. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) refers to a group of positional and geometrical isomers of linoleic acid (18:2) that, when fed to the dam in late gestation and (or) lactation, has been shown to alter the fatty acid (FA) profiles of colostrum and milk [4,5,6] and improve the growth performance of progeny [6,7,8,9]. Feeding CLA or MCFA to primiparous sows might offer improved trans-placental energy transfer and manipulate colostrum and (or) milk nutrient levels in order to improve the pre-weaning performance and survival of gilt progeny

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