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Microbial fermentation using bacteria or fungi is capable of degrading anti-nutritional compounds, undigested components, and some large-size nutrients in feed while providing probiotics and their metabolites. Feeding fermented feed is known to increase feed bioavailability, improve microbial ecology balance and enhance gut health. Two experiments were performed to study the effects of feeding fermented corn and soybean meal mixed feed (FMF, substrate of 40% corn, 40% soybean meal, and 20% wheat bran) with Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium to lactating sows on the performance of the sows and their progeny.
In experiment 1, a total of 60 sows were distributed to three dietary treatments: 1) a corn and soybean meal basal diet (control) from d 111 of gestation to weaning, 2) a diet with 7.5% FMF, and 3) a diet with 15% FMF. Results indicated that feeding 15% FMF improved ADFI of sows, the individual piglet weaning weights, and piglet weight gain. Similarly, the backfat loss of sows fed 15% FMF reduced compared with the control group. Differently, the dietary treatment 7.5% FMF did not affect either sow performance or their progeny. Therefore, supplement level of 15% FMF was considered to be more efficient than 7.5% FMF.
Experiment 2, was performed to verify previous results from experiment 1. A total of 60 sows were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments at 111 d of gestation: 1) a basal lactation diet (control), and 2) a basal diet with 15% FMF. The dietary treatment 15% FMF inclusion increased sow ADFI, litter weight gain, and individual piglet weight gain during lactation and reduced the backfat loss of sows and piglet diarrhoea incidence compared with the control. The weaning-to-oestrous interval tended to increase in control dietary treatment compared with compared with 15% FMF. In addition, milk yield and milk IgA contents were greater in sows fed 15% FMF than those of the control group. Furthermore, the apparent total tract digestibility of GE, DM, and total P of sows was increased with 15% FMF supplementation.
In conclusion, the present study indicates that supplementing sow diets with 15% FMF from d 111 of gestation to weaning has the potential to 1) increase sow ADFI, milk production, milk IgA content, and nutrient digestibility and promote sow reproductive performance by shortening the weaning-to-oestrous interval and 2) promote the growth performance of their progeny and decrease diarrhoea incidence.
Wang, C., Lin, C., Su, W., Zhang, Y., Wang, F., Wang, Y.,Shi, C., Lu, Z. 2018. Effects of supplementing sow diets with fermented corn and soybean meal mixed feed during lactation on the performance of sows and progeny. Journal of Animal Science, 96(1), 206-214.https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skx019
