0
This study aims to determine the effect of three different sources of fatty acids (FA) (coconut oil, CO; fish oil, FO; shark liver oil, SO) on sow and piglet performance and colostrum composition. From day 103 in gestation until farrowing, four successive groups of 15 sows received 70 g per day of one of the three oils. At day 102 of gestation, at farrowing and at weaning, backfat thickness of the sows was measured. Gestation length, total numbers of piglets born, born alive, stillborn and weaned were determined. At birth, 24 hours, 14 days and 28 days (weaning) later, the piglets were weighed. Colostrum samples were collected at farrowing and 24 hours later for the determination of IgG and IgA contents and the FA profile.
Neither performance parameters of the sows nor IgG and IgA concentrations in colostrum were affected by the dietary treatments. This was probably due to the short duration of FA supplementation. However, the colostral FA profiles reflected very well the profiles of the supplemented oils. Furthermore, the different treatments affected the growth performance of the piglets. At weaning, the piglets from the FO treatment were respectively 263 and 329 g heavier than the piglets from the SO and CO treatments (P < 0.05). This corresponded to 4.2 % and 5.8 % increase of the ADG in comparison to the SO and CO treatments, respectively.
These results show the importance of the FA composition in colostrum on the growth of piglets and consequently the importance of the feeding of sows at the end of gestation.
C. Boudry, M.-L. Vanrobays, S. De Vos. Influence de l’apport de différentes sources lipidiques en fin de gestation sur les résultats techniques des truies allaitantes et de leurs porcelets. 2012. Journées Recherche Porcine, 44, 191-192.