Relationship between serumβ-lactoglobulin content during gestation and reproductive efficiency in primiparous sows

Abstract

The relationship between β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) serum concentration in sows during the last 8 weeks of gestation and subsequent piglet performance was investigated in 10 Dunel gilts. Two classes of gilts were identified with low (<150 ng/ml) or high (>150 ng/ml) average serum β-LG content. For both low and high content groups, equations were calculated to describe trends in serum β-LG content, respectively y1=10.07e0.0237x (R2=0.3122) and y2=69.00e0.0201x (R2=0.6959), where x is the number of days of gestation. Differences in serum β-LG content between the two groups were highly significant at all weeks (P < 0.01 from week 8 to 6 before farrowing; P < 0.001 from week 5 to farrowing). No significant differences (P > 0.05) between groups were shown for total number of piglets born, born alive, stillborn or mummified and piglet survival rates up until d 21 after farrowing. The group with high serum β-LG content during gestation showed higher litter weights at d 5 (P < 0.05) and d 21 (P < 0.10) and higher estimated milk production from farrowing to d 5 (P < 0.10). The results indicate that serum β-LG content during the final weeks of gestation could be used as an early indicator of reproductive efficiency, and that gilts with high content could be selected to improve herd productivity.