Sow Body Condition Research Articles

L-Arginine supplementation for pregnant and lactating sows may improve the performance of piglets: A systematic review.

The objective was to conduct a systematic review to clarify the effects of l-arginine supplementation in pregnant and lactating sows on plasma hormone levels, milk production and composition, the body condition of sows and piglet performance. In April 2023, an online search and a systematic search were performed in the following databases: Embase, Scopus, SciELO, Web of Science, PubMed and Science Direct. The combinations of keywords used were sow and arginine and lactation; sow and arginine and lactating; sow and arginine and gestation; sow and arginine and gestating; sow and arginine and pregnancy; sow and arginine and reproduction; piglet and arginine; and sow and arginine and mammary gland. In total, 21 scientific articles with original data were selected according to preestablished criteria. Among the 21 articles, seven (33%) reported measurements of some plasma hormones, and among these, six reported an increase in the levels of at least one hormone, namely, estradiol, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin, follicle stimulating hormone, growth hormone or prolactin, with l-arginine supplementation. The parameters of milk were evaluated in 11 studies (52%), one reported an increase in protein content, and one reported an increase in IGF-1 content in milk with supplementation of this amino acid. Of the 14 studies that evaluated the performance parameters of piglets, only four reported improvements in some parameters of piglets from sows that received supplementation. Dietary supplementation of arginine for sows in the final third of gestation and/or lactation may alter the plasma levels of some hormones, which may reflect in greater development of the mammary gland tissue and, consequently, promote benefits on the performance of piglets. However, more studies are needed to evaluate the real impact of this amino acid supplementation on the physiology of the sows, in general, and the performance of suckling piglets.

Clostridium butyricum Probiotic Feed Additive: Modulation of Sow Milk Metabolomics and Mitigation of Pre-Weaning Piglet Diarrhea.

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of Clostridium butyricum probiotic feed additive on sow and piglet performances, together with alterations in the lipidomic and metabolomic profiles of sow milk. Sixty-four Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred sows and 794 piglets were included. Sows were divided into two groups; i.e., (i) conventional gestation diet (control; n = 35) and (ii) conventional diet added with 10 g/sow/day of probiotic C. butyricum spores (treatment; n = 29) from one week before the estimated farrowing day until weaning (29.6 ± 4.8 days). The sow and piglet performances and incidence of piglet diarrhea were recorded. Changes in gross chemical composition, fatty acid and non-volatile polar metabolite profiles of sow colostrum, transient milk and mature milk were evaluated. The results showed that relative backfat loss in the treatment group (-2.3%) was significantly lower than in control group (11.6%), especially in primiparous sows (p = 0.019). The application of C. butyricum probiotics in sows significantly reduced the incidence of diarrhea in piglets (p < 0.001) but no other effect on piglet performance was found. Lipidomic and metabolomic analyses revealed variations in sow colostrum and milk biomolecular profiles, with indicative compounds significantly altered by feeding with the C. butyricum probiotics. In conclusion, the use of C. butyricum probiotics in sows may improve sow body condition and reduce diarrhea incidence in piglets, with underlying changes in milk composition that warrant further investigation. These findings support the potential of C. butyricum as a beneficial feed additive in swine production.

Influence of the body condition of sows on their reproductive qualities and feeding indexes of the young pigs obtained from them

Objective. Determining the influence of the body conditions of sows on the indicators of their reproductive qualities and establishing the relationship with the subsequent productivity of the offspring obtained from them. Methods. To carry out research, 3 groups of sows with different conditions were formed: thin, normal, fat. Reproductive qualities were evaluated based on fertility, the number of piglets at weaning, and the weight of the nest at weaning. The feeding qualities of the offspring were determined by the average daily growth, the age at which a live weight of 100 kg was reached, and feed consumption per 1 kg of growth (according to calculated data). The meat quality of the offspring was assessed by the lard thickness index at the level of 6-7 thoracic vertebrae. Results. As a result of research, it was established that sows with lean condition were significantly inferior to others in terms of multiple fertility, the number of piglets at weaning, and the weight of the nest at weaning (р&lt;0.001). No significant difference was found between sows with normal and fat condition in the number of piglets at weaning, multifertility, the difference was significant only in the weight of the nest at weaning (р&lt;0.001). The young obtained from sows with fat and normal conditions were almost at the same level in terms of fattening qualities. Piglets obtainedfrom sows with lean conditions were significantly inferior to others in terms of the age of reaching live weight of 100 kg (Р&lt;0.05). No significant influence of the body condition of sows on the fat thickness of their offspring was recorded. Conclusions. A reliable influence of the type of body condition of sows on their reproductive qualities was established (р&lt;0.001). Sows with lean condition were significantly inferior to others in terms offertility (-2.9 head; -2.7 head), number of piglets at weaning (-2.6 head; -2.9 head), nest weight at weaning (-25.1 kg; -37.3 kg) (р&lt;0.001). No significant difference was found between sows with fat and normal condition in the number ofpiglets at weaning, multifertility, the difference was significant only in the index of nest weight at weaning (12.2 kg) (р&lt;0.001). The relationship between the type of body condition of sows and the fattening and meat qualities of the offspring was determined (a reliable influence of the type of body condition of sows on the age of reaching the live weight of 100 kg in their offspring was established) (р&lt;0.05). Piglets obtainedfrom sows with lean conditions were significantly inferior to others in terms of the age of reaching 100 kg live weight (2.3 days; 2.8 days) (р&lt;0.05). The fattening qualities of the young obtained from sows with fat and normal conditions were almost at the same level. In terms of meat qualities (based on the thickness of lard at the level of 6 - 7 thoracic vertebrae), no significant difference between the groups was found. Keywords: body condition, sows, reproductive qualities, fattening qualities, caliper, multifertility, nest weight

Dietary CP and digestion kinetics influence BW loss, litter weight gain, and reproduction by affecting postprandial amino acid metabolism in lactating sows

To avoid a high body protein mobilization in modern lean sows during lactation, an adequate dietary amino acid (AA) supply and an efficient AA utilization are crucial. This study evaluated the effects of dietary CP and in vitro protein digestion kinetics on changes in sow body condition, litter weight gain, milk composition, blood metabolites, protein utilization efficiency and subsequent reproductive performance. We hypothesized that a slower digestion of dietary protein would improve AA availability and utilization. In total, 110 multiparous sows were fed one of four lactation diets in a 2 × 2 factorial design, with two CP concentrations: 140 g/kg vs 180 g/kg, and two protein digestion kinetics, expressed as a percentage of slow protein (in vitro degradation between 30 and 240 min): 8 vs 16% of total protein. Feeding sows the high CP diets reduced sow weight loss (Δ = 7.6 kg, P < 0.01), estimated body fat loss (Δ = 2.6 kg, P = 0.02), and estimated body protein loss (Δ = 1.0 kg, P = 0.08), but only at a high percentage of slow protein. A higher percentage of slow protein increased litter weight gain throughout lactation (Δ = 2.6 kg, P = 0.04) regardless of CP concentrations, whereas a higher CP only increased litter weight gain during week 3 of lactation (Δ = 1.2 kg, P = 0.01). On Day 15 postfarrowing, serial blood samples were taken from a subsample of sows fed with the high CP diets. In these sows, a high percentage of slow protein resulted in higher plasma AA concentrations at 150 and 180 min after feeding (Δ = 0.89, P = 0.02, Δ = 0.78, P = 0.03, mmol/L, respectively) and lower increases in urea at 90 and 120 min after feeding (Δ = 0.67, P = 0.04, Δ = 0.70, P = 0.03, mmol/L, respectively). The higher dietary CP concentration increased total nitrogen loss to the environment (Δ = 604 g, P < 0.01) with a reduction of protein efficiency (Δ = 14.8%, P < 0.01). In the next farrowing, a higher percentage of slow protein increased subsequent liveborn litter size (Δ = 0.7, P < 0.05). In conclusion, feeding sows with a high dietary CP concentration alleviated maternal weight loss during lactation when the dietary protein digestion rate was slower, but lowered protein efficiency. A slower protein digestion improved litter weight gain, possibly by reducing AA oxidation and improving plasma AA availability, thus, improving protein efficiency.

PSI-3 Effect of feed and water consumption patterns during the lactation period on wean-to-estrus interval in weaned sows

Abstract There is sufficient evidence that adequate feed and water consumption during the lactation period positively influences sow body condition at weaning. Optimum body condition score after the lactation period decreases sow wean-to-estrus interval and non-productive sow days and promotes sow reproductive performance in the following reproductive cycle, in general. However, feed and water intake patterns have not been extensively studied in commercial sow research; thus, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of feed and water consumption patterns in the lactation period on wean-to-estrus interval in weaned sows. This trial was conducted in a commercial sow farm located in southwestern Minnesota in March 2023. Each lactation feeder was outfitted with a MealMeter 2.0 device (PigEasy, LLC, Templeton, IA), which uses a rotating feed dispenser to release feed ad libitum at the request of each sow. In addition, the MealMeter 2.0 device utilizes sensors to track the number of times feed and water were accessed at 15-min time intervals across the entire lactation period. Average daily feed (ADF) and water accessions (ADW) were summarized for each sow during the lactation period (n = 84 sows). Root mean squared error (RMSEF and RMSEW for feed and water accessions, respectively) was calculated from the residuals of the regression between days post-farrowing and ADF and ADW for each sow and was considered a measure of variation in feed and water accessions during the lactation period. Moreover, the number of days from weaning to the first estrus was recorded and defined as the wean-to-estrus interval (WTE). Due to the distribution of WTE, sows with a WTE ≤ 5 d and WTE &amp;gt; 5 d were separated into a binary classifier (0 = WTE ≤ 5 d and 1 = WTE &amp;gt; 5 d). The relationship between each feed and water measurement and WTE class was estimated using a logistic regression model fit with R Statistical Software. Average daily feed and water accessions were negatively associated with WTE class (P- = 0.07 and 0.04, respectively; Table 1), indicating that as feed and water accessions increase, the probability of observing a WTE greater than 5 d decreases. In addition, RMSEF and RMSEW were also negatively associated with WTE class, which suggests that as the variation in each measure across the lactation period increases, the probability of observing a WTE greater than 5 d is reduced. This result was not expected and, thus, requires further investigation. Nonetheless, results from this study suggest that the mean and variation of daily feed and water accessions are associated with WTE and sufficient consumption of nutrients during the lactation period is critical to reducing the number of days to first estrus in weaned sows.

PSV-17 Glycerol monolaurate improves litter performance and modifies milk composition when fed to lactating sows

Abstract Glycerol monolaurate (GML) has proven antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, and additionally has been shown to increase milk immunoglobulins and improve gut health. However, limited information is available on how feeding GML to the sow prior and during lactation can influence the performance of the nursing pig. The objective of this study was to determine if feeding GML to sows would help maintain body condition, increase lauric acid in milk and improve litter performance. A total of 50 sows were randomly assigned to either a control feed or to a control feed with 1.5 kgs/mT of GML (LipoVital GL-90) 3 to 5 dbefore farrowing. Sow and litter performance was measured until weaning at 25 d. On d 1, piglets were cross-fostered within treatment and weighed. Creep feed was offered. Milk samples were taken from 5 randomly selected sows per treatment on d 3 and 25. Glycerol monolaurate had no effect on number of pigs born alive, born dead, stillborn, or number weaned (P &amp;gt; 0.20). No treatment differences (P &amp;gt; 0.20) were observed for sow feed intake, loss of backfat thickness or body weight losses during the study. Control piglets tended to consume more creep feed than GML piglets (P &amp;lt; 0.15). Starting body weight was less for GML piglets (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Despite the decreased starting body weight, weaning weight was not different between treatments (P &amp;gt; 0.20). Using starting body weight as a covariate, total body weight gain tended to be greater (P &amp;lt; 0.08) for GML piglets than the control piglets (5.01 kgs vs 4.89 kg, respectively). Glycerol monolaurate-fed pigs in the bottom quartile of starting body weights (&amp;lt; 1.3 kgs) numerically out gained their control counterparts (4.67 kgs vs 4.12 kgs). Milk from GML sows had 57% more lauric acid on d 3 (P &amp;lt; 0.05) and 124% more lauric acid at weaning compared with control sows (P &amp;lt; 0.05). In conclusion, GML maintained sow body condition, increased the content of lauric acid in milk and improved piglet body weight gain, especially in lighter body weight piglets. The results from this study demonstrate the application of GML in commercial sow herds will be beneficial to both sow and litter.

PSXI-14 Effect of a Sensory Additive to Maximize Sow Feed Intake and Performance of Piglets During Lactation Under Heat Stress Conditions

Abstract Longevity of the sows is a major concern in pig production, which is negatively affected when the sow body condition is not properly restored shortly after weaning. Therefore, feed intake (FI) becomes crucial to prevent the excessive body reserve mobilization during lactation, but also in promoting milk production and therefore maximizing litter performance. This situation is more exacerbated under heat stress conditions, in which FI is severely affected. The aim of the present study was to increase the sow FI and to maximize litter performance during lactation under heat stress conditions. A total of 20 Landrace x Large White sows were used. Animals were individually caged in farrowing crates one week before parturition according to their body weight, backfat thickness and parity and randomly assigned to two treatments (10 sows/treatment): Control diet, (C) or a diet containing a sensory additive (SA) included at 0.075% (Luctamax Sows, Lucta S.A., Barcelona, Spain). All diets were offered restricted from entry to the farrowing unit until parturition and ad libitum afterwards until weaning. For the sows’ body weight (BW, kg) a scale was used; back fat (BF, mm) was registered by ultrasound echography (in mm). Both measurements were performed at the entry to the farrowing unit and at weaning. Piglets’ performance was also monitored from birth to weaning (21 d of life). Higher temperature during the trial was over 30ºC (reaching a maximum of 37ºC). Data were analyzed by using the TTEST procedure of SAS. Results showed that SA sows increased up to 6.2% their FI compared with the C group (5.86 kg/d vs 5.52 kg/d, P = 0.08) from farrowing to weaning. Regarding the body reserves mobilization, BW (-24.7 kg vs -29.4 kg) and BF (-1.00 mm vs -3.30 mm) loses were numerically less in SA sows compared with C sows, respectively (P &amp;gt; 0.05). Finally, concerning performance of piglets, the inclusion of the SA tended to increase the growth during the first week after farrowing (0.174 kg/d vs 0.156 kg/d, P = 0.06) compared with the C group, respectively with no significant differences for the whole lactation period. Similarly, piglets weaning BW was slightly numerically greater for piglets born from SA sows compared with the control group (5.62 kg vs. 5.53, P &amp;gt; 0.05), respectively. Results suggest that the dietary inclusion of the sensory additive Luctamax Sows at 0.075% in the lactation diet from entry to the farrowing unit until weaning increased sows FI and prevented body reserves mobilization, having also benefits in the offspring, specially one week after farrowing. These results prove the potential of a sensory additive in helping the sows to cope with the lactation phase, especially under heat stress conditions.

PSVI-19 Impact of Sow Body Condition on Macro Reproductive Performance

Abstract Sow body condition is important for maximizing life-time productivity, milk production and progeny performance. Data from a total of 4,367 sows (76PIC, 4291Genesus) were used to investigate relationships between sow body condition at entry to farrowing house (body weight, back fat, body condition score) versus reproductive performance and milk production. Data were from a commercial farm from 2018-2020. Sow data were stratified by parity: Class 1 (parity 1), 2 (parity 2-4) and 3+ (parity 4 and above). Sow entry weight (with fetuses), backfat, and body condition score (scale 1-5) were measured at entry to farrowing house and at weaning. Milk production was calculated using the method of Hansen et al. (2012). Standard sow performance was collected via data software (Agriness). Data were plotted and assessed for commercially relevant relationships among dependent and independent variables. Single factor linear regression was used to calculate linear slope and slope standard error between variables of interest within parity. The farm represents typical north American performance with average piglets born alive13.9, total piglets born 15.6, number of piglets weaned 10.5. Regardless of parity, sow body weight at entry had the greatest positive linear relationship to reproductive productivity. Heavier weight at entry was positively related to number of total piglets born, born piglets alive, litter birth weight and milk production. Heavier primiparous sows at entry had greater piglet weight gain and weaning weight. A positive linear relationship (evidenced by non-zero linear slope) was observed between sow back fat loss and milk production in primiparous sows. Relationships among sow back fat, body condition score and productivity were weak (confidence interval of slope included zero). Sow backfat at entry did not impact lactation feed intake. This might be due to high average lactation feed intake (average 8 kg/d) in this farm. Slightly positive regression was observed between sow weight and lactation intake in primiparous sows but not in older sows. Most commercial farms do not have weighing equipment. Sow body condition score is often used as an economic method but highly variable depending on farm personnel. Our investigation suggests that sow body weight is important for sow reproductive performance. Gilt body weight at entry is positively related to litter birth weight and weaning weight. Future research is needed to better understand sow body composition (fat and lean percentage) on productivity and find economic ways to collect these parameters at commercial farms.

PSIV-2 Impact of Vitamins C and E on Sow Mortality and Stillborn Rate

Abstract The objective of the study was to evaluate late gestation supplementation of vitamins C and E on sow mortality and percentage of stillborn piglets. Sows (n = 466), housed in stalls at a commercial sow farm in eastern North Carolina, were randomly allocated to either receive 35g of a top-dress containing vitamins C and E or no top-dress (Control). The 35g top-dress contained 1.05g of vitamin C (from STAY-C 35), 500 IU of vitamin E (from ROVIMIX E50) and ground corn as a carrier. Vitamins C and E were top-dressed twice per week, from day 87 of gestation until farrowing. At the start of vitamin supplementation, sow body condition was measured using a Knauer sow body condition caliper (Knauer scale: &amp;lt; 12 = “thin”, 12 to 15 = “ideal”, &amp;gt;15 = “fat”). The gestation and lactation diets on the farm were formulated to contain no vitamin C and 66 IU/kg of vitamin E. Sow mortality was evaluated from day 95 of gestation through day 30 post-farrow. Mortality codes recorded by farm technicians included sudden death, lameness, prolapse and farrowing difficulty. Sow mortality traits were analyzed using a Chi-square analysis and percentage of stillborn piglets [stillborns ÷ (number born alive + stillborns)] was analyzed using linear regression. Of the 466 sows, 29 (6.2%) died or were euthanized between day 95 of gestation and 30 days post-farrow. Sows that died had less (P &amp;lt; 0.01) body condition (15.3 vs. 16.4 sow caliper score) and were greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) parity (2.8 vs. 1.9) than sows that survived. Sows supplemented with vitamins C and E tended (P = 0.11) to die less from sudden death and prolapse when compared with Control sows (6.0 vs. 3.0%). Vitamin C and E supplementation tended (P = 0.08) to reduce the number of sows that died at or before farrowing. There was no difference (P=0.33) in percentage of stillborn piglets between sows supplemented with vitamins C and E when compared with Control sows (6.4 vs. 5.5%, respectively). Yet there was an interaction (P &amp;lt; 0.01) between sow body condition caliper score and vitamin supplementation in relation to percentage of stillborn piglets. Thin and ideal sows supplemented with vitamins C and E, thin and ideal Control sows, fat sows supplemented with vitamins C and E, and fat Control sows had stillborn rates of 8.3, 4.8, 4.4 and 6.1%, respectively. For each additional piglet born, percentage of stillborn piglets increased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) by 0.38%. Results suggest supplementation of vitamins C and E in late gestation may be a strategy to enhance sow livability.

PSIII-20 Impact of Prefarrow Fat Supplementation on Piglet Survival and Subsequent Reproduction

Abstract Past research (40+ years ago) suggests feeding fat to sows before parturition and during lactation improves piglet energy stores, sow colostrum fat percentage, sow milk fat percentage and piglet survival. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the impact of sow fat feeding on piglet survival and throughput in a modern production system. Data were collected from 1,866 sows at a 3,600 sow commercial farm in eastern North Carolina between May and August. Sows were randomly assigned to one of four treatments from day 108 of gestation until farrowing (no supplementation; Control), supplemented with 227g or 454g of soybean oil per day, or supplemented with 227g of coconut oil per day. Oil sources were top dressed daily with 2.27kg of lactation diet. After farrowing, sows had ad libitum access to the lactation diet. At birth, piglets received a colored ear tag corresponding to prefarrow diet. Traits recorded included total number of piglets born, stillborns, crossfosters, number weaned, piglet survival (number weaned ÷ total number born), litter weaning weight, lactation length, whether a sow farrowed a subsequent litter, subsequent total number born, subsequent number born alive, subsequent stillborns, Knauer sow body condition caliper score prefarrow and sow caliper score at weaning. Linear models were used in statistical analysis. Fixed effects included sow prefarrow diet, parity, contemporary group and location of the sow within the farrowing room. Covariates were included when applicable. Results are shown in Table 1. Stillborns and stillborn percentage did not differ (P &amp;gt; 0.05) between dietary treatments. Yet sows supplemented with soybean oil tended (P = 0.10) to have fewer stillborn piglets (0.06 piglets) than Control sows. No differences (P &amp;gt; 0.05) in piglet survival across dietary treatments were observed. Sows supplemented with soybean or coconut oil prefarrow had greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) subsequent total number born (13.71 vs. 13.31 piglets) and tended (P = 0.07) to have greater subsequent number born alive (13.07 vs. 12.72 piglets) than Control fed sows. Accordingly, sows supplemented with soybean oil tended (P = 0.08) to have more subsequent total number born (13.69 vs. 13.31 piglets) and tended (P = 0.09) to have greater subsequent number born alive (13.07 vs. 12.72 piglets) than Control fed sows. No differences (P &amp;gt; 0.05) in sow body condition loss during lactation were observed between dietary treatments. In summary, prefarrow fat supplementation did not impact piglet survival but did enhance subsequent litter size. The authors would like to thank the United Soybean Board for funding projects designed to enhance pig farmer profit.

115 Sow Supplementation with Vitamin C Enhances Pig Throughput

Abstract The objective was to evaluate the impact of vitamin C supplementation, during the transition phase, on sow reproduction and subsequent offspring performance. Landrace × Large White composite sows (n = 58), mated to Smithfield Premium Genetics Duroc boars, were housed at the NCDA Tidewater Research Station. Parity 1 and parity 2 sows were randomly assigned to one of three vitamin C (STAY-C35) levels (0, 250, or 500 mg/kg of diet). Diets were fed from day 107 of gestation through day 7 of lactation. A common lactation diet was then fed from day 8 of lactation until weaning. Sows were fed 2.27 kg per day pre-farrow and ad libitum after farrowing. Cross-fostering was minimized and performed within dietary treatment. Sow body condition was assessed on day 107 of gestation and at weaning (day 23 of lactation) using the Knauer sow body condition caliper. After weaning and 5 weeks in a nursery, offspring were transferred to a naturally ventilated, totally slatted grow-finish facility and housed at 0.62 m2 per pig. Offspring were individually reweighed at 124 days of age (88 ± 5.0 kg). All statistical models contained fixed effects of dietary vitamin C level and sow parity. Total number born was included as a covariate for average piglet birth weight (BWT), stillborn percentage, BWT CV, piglet survival [number weaned ÷ (number born alive + stillborns)], number of littermates at 124 days of age, average daily gain (ADG) from birth to 124 days and pig survival from birth to 124 days [number weighed ÷ (number born alive + stillborns)]. Weaning age and number weaned were included as covariates for average piglet weaning weight (WWT) and WWT CV. Sow and litter was the experimental unit. Results (LSMEANS) are shown in Table 1. Percentage of stillborn piglets did not differ (P &amp;gt; 0.05) between dietary treatments. Sows fed 500 mg/kg of vitamin C had lighter (P &amp;lt; 0.05) piglet BWT CV compared with Control sows. Supplementing 500 mg/kg of vitamin C increased (P &amp;lt; 0.05) both average piglet birth weight and average piglet weaning weight compared with Control sows. Piglet survival did not differ (P &amp;gt; 0.05) between treatments. Average daily gain from birth to 124 days of age tended (P = 0.06) to be greater for pigs from sows fed vitamin C when compared with pigs from Control sows (707 vs. 688 g). Offspring survival from birth to 124 days of age did not differ (P &amp;gt; 0.05) between parity 1 and 2 sows (80.6 and 78.4%, respectively). Yet offspring from parity 2 sows had greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) ADG from birth to 124 days of age when compared with parity 1 sows (713 vs. 688 g). In summary, supplementing sows with vitamin C increased throughput by enhancing piglet birth weight, piglet weaning weight and offspring growth performance.

87 Improving Pig Livability Before, During, and After Parturition

Abstract Nearly a quarter of piglets are lost from farrowing to weaning, with stillbirths representing about 7.5% and preweaning mortality contributing another 15.7% in North America (Pigchamp, Metafarm). This averages to a loss of 7.37 pigs per sow per year resulting in significant economic loss and animal welfare concerns. Main contributors of low piglet survivability include poor sow body condition at farrowing, long farrowing duration, piglet asphyxiation, insufficient colostrum consumption, and health challenges. Piglet livability can be improved through nutrition and management solutions before, during, and after parturition. In this context three main strategies have been shown to be effective: 1) managing sow body composition, 2) improving fetal oxygen and nutrient supply via the nitric oxide pathway, and 3) improving piglet health through functional ingredients in the diet of the sow. Highly prolific sows (&amp;gt; 16 born alive) lose both backfat and muscle during the later stages of gestation. Additionally, loin depth loss is more detrimental for piglet survival compared with backfat loss. Sows with the highest stillborn (&amp;gt; 2 per litter) lose the most loin muscle depth regardless of genetics. A solution to reduce this effect and improve piglet survivability is a two-phase gestation feeding with more amino acids in late gestation. Average farrowing duration of a highly prolific sow is 300 minutes and increasing with larger litters. To make things worse, most sows are going through farrowing without food and/or drink. Nutrients and energy supply to sow are critical for shorting farrowing duration and piglet survivability. Compared with pigs that died before weaning, surviving pigs at weaning have greater blood oxygen and less carbon dioxide and lactate at birth. Nitric oxide boosting technologies have been used widely to enhance athletic performance and increase endurance. This vasodilative effect of nitric oxide can be used similarly in sows to increased placental blood flow and thus oxygen and nutrient supply to fetuses. This reduces the risk of asphyxiation and therefore can increase piglet vitality at birth and decreases stillbirth and pre-weaning mortality. Post-parturition health challenge poses a large risk to piglet survivability. Functional feed ingredients, such as botanicals, are a potential solution to improve piglet health and resilience to challenging conditions. Some botanicals can pass through placenta and milk to supply piglets. Milk from sows fed specific botanicals has been shown to improve inhibitory activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Some specific botanicals can improve sow and piglet antioxidant status, and piglet gut health. In conclusion, managing sow body condition, nitric oxide pathway stimulation, and functional sow diets are effective ways to improve piglet survivability in challenging environments.

110 Effects of Supplementation of Refined Functional Carbohydrates in Sow and Piglet Diets on Performance During pre-Weaning and in Nursery in Pigs Fed Diets without any Antimicrobials

Abstract The objective of the study was to test effects of supplementation of Refined Functional Carbohydrates in sow and piglet diets on performance during pre-weaning and in nursery in pigs fed diet without antibiotics and pharmacological level of Zinc Oxide. Hybrid-hyper prolific sows (n = 269) and their litters [(Landrace x Large-white) x Pietrain] were used for the trial. All sows participated in the gestation phase, but only 94 of them were monitored throughout the lactation phase and their piglets during nursery phase. During the first 90 days of gestation all sows were fed a common standard diet. On approximately d 90 of gestation, sows were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: 1) control group (CONTROL, n = 134), and 2) RFC group (0.02% CELMANAX SCP, n = 135), until transfer to farrowing unit (d 110 of gestation). A subset of sows received the corresponding lactation feed (CONTROL n = 54 and 0.02% CELMANAX SCP, n =4 6) after entering the farrowing room and throughout lactation. The day after farrowing, piglets were weighed individually and the number of piglets born alive, stillborn, and mummified were recorded. The piglets were supplemented with creep feed from day 7 of lactation with identical treatments as their sows. Sow body condition and feed intake during lactation and rectal temperature post farrowing were recorded. Piglet BW at weaning, pre-weaning mortality and medical treatments were recorded. Fecal score of sows and litter during pre-weaning were also recorded. At weaning, piglets were assigned to the 2 treatments (CONTROL and CELMANAX SCP, 0.02%), according to lactation treatment with 30 piglets/pen and 22 pens/treatment. Treatments were fed in the first two phases of nursery, 0-7 days and 7-21 days post weaning. Nursery pig performance was recorded. Data were analyzed with statistic software Minitab version 17.0 Windows using sow as the experimental unit for variables of gestation and lactation stages, and pen for the variables during nursery period. Sows that received diets supplemented with RFC showed a reduced mortality rate of piglets at 24 h of life (P=0.05). At weaning, an increase in piglet BW (P&amp;lt; 0.05) and a trend for greater ADG (P = 0.07) was noted in piglets from RFC supplemented multiparous sows. Nursery pigs fed diets supplemented with RFC had greater BW (P=0.03) and ADG (P=0.03) and a trend for greater ADFI during the first 21 days of nursery (P=0.08). In conclusion, sows supplemented with RFC in late gestation diet (d 90 to d 110) had reduced piglet mortality 24 h postpartum. Continued supplementation of RFC in lactation diet of sows and in piglet creep increased piglet weaning weight. Piglets supplemented with RFC in the early nursery stage (0 to 21d) also saw an improvement in the main productive indicators.

84 Dead Sows do not Rear Piglets

Abstract Increasing sow mortality continues to challenge pig producers in the U.S. Sow mortality is an animal well-being, economic and sustainability concern. The majority of sow death loss occurs during late gestation and lactation. Unborn piglets are not able to survive when a sow dies in late gestation. During lactation, sow death (depending on stage of lactation) reduces the availability of colostrum, milk and number of functional teats available to a batch of piglets. Hence sow mortality impedes reproductive throughput. The author characterized sow mortality and evaluated nutritional interventions at a 2,600 animal commercial sow farm in eastern North Carolina over a 27-week period. Sows were housed in individual stalls during gestation. Sow mortality was specifically evaluated between day 95 of gestation and 30 days post-farrowing. Females were evaluated at day 95 of gestation for body condition using the Knauer sow body condition caliper. Sows were further evaluated for abnormalities (e.g., structural conformation, overgrown toes and dew claws, perineal swelling, behavior). Farm recorded sow mortality codes included difficult farrow (7%), lameness (32%), prolapse (21%) and unknown (40%). Of the 3,340 sows evaluated, 190 (5.7%) died between day 95 of gestation and 30 days post-farrow. Abnormalities were more likely (P &amp;lt; 0.01) to be recorded for sows that subsequently died when compared with sows that lived (15.3 vs. 4.5%). Sow mortality was associated (P &amp;lt; 0.05) with both parity and sow body condition. First litter females and heavier conditioned sows were more likely to survive. Yet these two factors combined explained less than 2% of the variation in sow mortality. Few nutritional interventions have been scientifically evaluated in relation to sow mortality. The author will report on five pilot studies, conducted at the commercial sow farm in eastern North Carolina, evaluating the impact of different nutritional strategies to enhance sow livability. Pilot studies consisted of vitamin supplementation experiments (n = 3) in late gestation or the transition period, soybean meal supplementation in late gestation and increased feeding levels in late gestation. Supplementing a combination of vitamins E and C, in late gestation, showed promise in enhancing sow livability. Results challenge the author’s paradigm that poor stockmanship and structural conformation are largely related to the sow U.S. sow mortality dilemma. Hence it is recommended that the swine industry work to better understand the micro and macro nutrient requirements of modern sow genotypes under commercial environments.

PSIII-7 Evaluation of Agolin-Pig on Sow and Piglet Performance During Lactation

Abstract Essential oils are being introduced in swine diets as an alternative to antibiotic usage. The objectives of this preliminary study were to determine the effects of Agolin-Pig, a combination of micro-encapsulated essential oils, on sow feed intake, sow health and body condition, piglet growth performance, and future evaluation of microbiota structure. The experimental design consisted of 26 sows randomly allotted to either control (n = 13) or treatment groups (n = 13). Both groups consumed diets that met NRC standards (NRC, 2012), with the treatment group receiving 200 ppm of Agolin-Pig in a premix made in-house for 2 weeks pre-farrowing, and throughout farrowing and lactation. Sow average daily feed intake (ADFI) and piglet average daily gain (ADG) were recorded and calculated to monitor effects of Agolin-Pig. Sow body weights, body condition scores (BCS), and Knauer Sow Caliper measurements were collected at the start of the trial, 1-week post-farrowing, and at weaning to determine the change in sow body condition during lactation. All data were analyzed using PROC Mixed procedure in SAS 9.4 (Cary, North Carolina) with treatment, week, and parity (P1 vs P≥2) as main effects, repeated measures of sows and piglets, and number nursed used as a covariate where appropriate. All sows significantly increased ADFI (P = 0.0001) between weeks 1, 2, and 3 as expected during lactation, regardless of treatment. There was no significant impact of Agolin-Pig treatment on sow ADFI and piglet ADG. Piglets significantly increased ADG each week for 3 weeks (P ± 0.0001). During lactation, Agolin-Pig significantly reduced the loss of body condition as measured by the caliper (P = 0.028). Calipers are proven to detect changes in body condition more accurately than visual, subjective BCS, indicating that the caliper identifies a reduction in body condition that may have been missed by BCS or weight change altered by lactation. The gilts in the control group tended to show a reduction in BCS compared with sows in the control group (P = 0.074). In comparison, there was no significant difference in BCS between gilts and sows in the Agolin-Pig treated group suggesting that Agolin-Pig is effective at reducing the loss of BCS in gilts during lactation. Current analysis of fecal microbiota and milk composition may give greater insight on the effects of Agolin-Pig on sows. Overall, Agolin-Pig was effective at reducing the loss of body condition during lactation, as measured by the caliper. Additionally, Agolin-Pig tended to reduce the difference in loss of body condition of gilts compared with the control group. The findings of this pilot study warrant future studies with greater sample size to determine the efficacy of Agolin-Pig on reducing body condition loss and impacting other performance measures during lactation in sows.

CAT-CBAM-Net: An Automatic Scoring Method for Sow Body Condition Based on CNN and Transformer.

Sow body condition scoring has been confirmed as a vital procedure in sow management. A timely and accurate assessment of the body condition of a sow is conducive to determining nutritional supply, and it takes on critical significance in enhancing sow reproductive performance. Manual sow body condition scoring methods have been extensively employed in large-scale sow farms, which are time-consuming and labor-intensive. To address the above-mentioned problem, a dual neural network-based automatic scoring method was developed in this study for sow body condition. The developed method aims to enhance the ability to capture local features and global information in sow images by combining CNN and transformer networks. Moreover, it introduces a CBAM module to help the network pay more attention to crucial feature channels while suppressing attention to irrelevant channels. To tackle the problem of imbalanced categories and mislabeling of body condition data, the original loss function was substituted with the optimized focal loss function. As indicated by the model test, the sow body condition classification achieved an average precision of 91.06%, the average recall rate was 91.58%, and the average F1 score reached 91.31%. The comprehensive comparative experimental results suggested that the proposed method yielded optimal performance on this dataset. The method developed in this study is capable of achieving automatic scoring of sow body condition, and it shows broad and promising applications.

93. Utility of using a caliper at insemination to measure the body condition of sows of different genetic types: Influence on farrowing performances

93. Utility of using a caliper at insemination to measure the body condition of sows of different genetic types: Influence on farrowing performances

Effects of different levels of dietary crude protein on the physiological response, reproductive performance, blood profiles, milk composition and odor emission in gestating sows.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of crude protein (CP) levels on the physiological response, reproductive performance, blood profiles, milk composition and odor emission in gestating sows. Seventy-two multiparous sows (Yorkshire×Landrace) of average body weight (BW), backfat thickness, and parity were assigned to one of six treatments with 10 or 11 sows per treatment in a completely randomized design. Experimental diets with different CP levels were as follows: i) CP11, corn‒soybean-based diet containing 11% CP; ii) CP12, corn‒soybean-based diet containing 12% CP; iii) CP13, corn‒soybean-based diet containing 13% CP; iv) CP14, corn‒soybean-based diet containing 14% CP; v) CP15, corn‒soybean-based diet containing 15% CP; and vi) CP16: corn‒soybean-based diet containing 16% CP. There was no significant difference in the performance of sow or piglet growth when sows were fed different dietary protein levels. Milk fat (linear, p = 0.05) and total solids (linear, p = 0.04) decreased as dietary CP levels increased. Increasing dietary CP levels in the gestation diet caused a significant increase in creatinine at days 35 and 110 of gestation (linear, p = 0.01; linear, p = 0.01). The total protein in sows also increased as dietary CP levels increased during the gestation period and 24 hours postpartum (linear, p = 0.01; linear, p = 0.01). During the whole experimental period, an increase in urea in sows was observed when sows were fed increasing levels of dietary CP (linear, p = 0.01), and increasing blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations were observed as well. In the blood parameters of piglets, there were linear improvements in creatinine (linear, p = 0.01), total protein (linear, p = 0.01), urea (linear, p = 0.01), and BUN (linear, p = 0.01) with increasing levels of dietary CP as measured 24 hours postpartum. At two measurement points (days 35 and 110) of gestation, the odor gas concentration, including amine, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide, increased linearly when sows fed diets with increasing levels of dietary CP (linear, p = 0.01). Moreover, as dietary CP levels increased to 16%, the odor gas concentration was increased with a quadratic response (quadratic, p = 0.01). Reducing dietary CP levels from 16% to 11% in a gestating diet did not exert detrimental effects on sow body condition or piglet performance. Moreover, a low protein diet (11% CP) may improve dietary protein utilization and metabolism to reduce odor gas emissions in manure and urine in gestating sows.

Associations between Sow Body Condition with Subsequent Reproductive Performance

Associations between Sow Body Condition with Subsequent Reproductive Performance

Možnosti řešení velkých vrhů selat

The aim of the first experiment was to verify the effectiveness and profitability of providing supplemental feed to piglets. The milk feed mixture of two producers (MFM-1 vs MFM-2) were evaluated (served ad libitum). All piglets were suckled and were fed with the pre-starter feed mixture from the 5th day until the weaning stage. The control group without milk supplements has shown a higher piglet mortality and worse body condition of sows. The usage of milk supplements led to the elimination of the sow body condition loss during the suckling period and reduced feed mixture consumption in sows (P<0.05). The MFM-1 group was found to have a higher consumption of milk supplements, the lowest mortality and the lowest loss of sow body condition (P<0.05). However, from the economic point of view, i.e. the costs on 1 weaned pig, slightly better results have been proven at the MFM-2 milk supplement. In the second experiment sows were divided into 2 groups. In the first group, the piglets were fed with milk substitute and in the second group, nurse sows (15% of the herd) were used. Nurse sows had a longer suckling period and farrowing interval, a slightly lower number of litters per sow per year and by 0.93 lower number weaning piglets per year. Using the milk substitute, generated a higher business profit per year than for nurse sows. However, the fact that nurse sows block the farrowing pen should be taken into account. In case that fewer sows were kept, business profit would be higher.