Cumulative benefits of live yeast on sows and piglets

Several benefits of the reference live yeast product supplementation to sows and piglets have been demonstrated: an increase in immunoglobulin content in colostrum and milk, an improvement of the nutritional properties of colostrum and milk and a reduction of neonatal diarrhoea.

Trial set-up

71 primi- and multiparous sows, Topigs genetic, were allocated according to their parity into 2 groups. One week prior to farrowing, the sows were moved to the farrowing house in groups of 9-11 animals in order to fill 1 farrowing room. Each farrowing house contains 3 independent rooms with 19 farrowing pens each.

In the trial, which was conducted on 2 consecutive cycles, 2 different treatments were given; in the control group sows were fed a basal gestation diet and a basal lactation diet, in the other group sows were fed a basal gestation diet supplemented with the reference live yeast product (0.5 kg/T – top dressing) during 14 days pre-farrowing and a basal lactation diet supplemented with the reference live yeast product (1 kg/T – top dressing) for the whole lactation period.

Sow body condition

The average sow back fat loss during lactation was reduced by 1.1 mm in the group supplemented with the reference live yeast product compared to the control group, during the 2 successive cycles (see Figure 1).

Litter at birth

Litter size after cross fostering was higher in the group supplemented with the reference live yeast product compared to the control group. This improvement was enhanced during the second cycle: +0.4 piglet in cycle 1 and +0.9 piglet in cycle 2. Similarly, the litter weight at birth was higher in the group which had the reference live yeast product supplement compared to the control group. This difference was higher during the second cycle: +1 kg in cycle 1 and +1.4 kg cycle 2 (see Figure 2).

Litter at weaning

Litter size at weaning was higher in the group fed the reference live yeast product supplement compared to the control group. The difference was increased during the second cycle: +0.2 piglet in cycle 1 and +1 piglet in cycle 2. Similarly, the litter weight at weaning was higher in the group fed the reference live yeast product supplement. This difference was enhanced throughout cycles: +3.1 kg in cycle 1 and +10.2 kg in cycle 2 (see Figure 3).

The study showed that supplementation of the reference live yeast product in gestation and lactation reduced sow body weight loss and enhanced piglet performance during lactation.

Reference available on request