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It is known that restriction of feed negatively influences the behaviour and welfare of sows even though it is widely adopted during the gestation period to counteract nutrient oversupply. Nevertheless, a healthy gut needs its fuel and is a prerequisite for preventing birth-associated health disorders. Including high amounts of fibre in diets around parturition could be the solution for behavioural disorders and health problems in sows and therefore in piglets as well. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of ad libitum access to compound feeds rich in fibre (ante-partum (a.p) and peri partum) and a lactation diet (post-partum (p.p)) on the performance and health of sows. From day 109 (d-7) of gestation, 25 of 48 sows (23 considered as control) received access to one of two different high-fibre pellets (fibre groups (FG) 1 and 2) from d-7 until the second day p.p. (d2) in additional to a lactation diet. Data of DM intake, body mass development and excretion of Clostridium (C.) perfringens via sows’ faeces were recorded.
As a result, the additional DM intake of the high-fibre pellets a.p. was 2.13 ± 1.15 kg in FG 1 and 3.14 ± 0.68 kg in FG 2. This led to higher DM intake in the first lactation week and significantly lower losses of weight and back fat thickness during lactation. The bacterial counts of C. perfringens in sows’ faeces directly p.p. were 10 times lower in FG 1 and 100 times lower in FG 2 compared to the controls.
To conclude, this study indicated that a higher feed intake of a fibre-rich diet ante partum did not interfere with any birth-associated disorders. In addition, ad libitum-fed sows showed higher dry matter (DM) intake throughout lactation, which led to beneficial effects on the body condition scores of sows. Due to the high fibre intake, the excretion of C. perfringens via sows’ faeces could be significantly reduced, which could be a helpful tool in reducing the risk of neonatal diarrhoea caused by C. perfringens.
Schwennen C, Reckels B, Klingenberg M, El-Wahab AA, Keller B, Visscher C. Influence of Feeding Compound Feed Rich in Fibre during Parturition and Lactation on Health and Performance of Sows. Animals. 2022; 12(4): 497. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12040497
