Modified diet may increase pig birthrate
New research shows that prenatal death and fetal growth restriction in pigs can be minimised by dietary adjustments that can enhance placental growth, thereby promoting an optimal intrauterine environment throughout pregnancy.
to prevent excessive weight gain of sows during pregnancy may result in
increased death and reduced growth of fetuses. Sows may also not receive
sufficient amounts of certain nutrients during mid- to late-gestation when a
restricted feeding programme is used.
Arginine
These problems
could be greatly reduced by supplementing standard corn and soybean-based
maternal diets with an additional 0.83 percent arginine
between
days 30 and 114 of gestation, according to the researchers Guoyao Wu, Sung Woo
Kim and colleagues that conducted studies that were funded by the USDA’s
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.
Economic
return
Compared to the control sows that received no
additional arginine, the additional supplementation increased the number and
total litter weight of piglets born alive by two per litter and 24%,
respectively. The study shows that a specific dietary intervention can enhance
reproductive performance in pigs.
This recent discovery may result in a significant economic return to pork
producers. An increase in the number of live-born pigs will markedly reduce the
production costs associated with sow reproduction and lactation. An increase in
the vitality of newborn pigs will increase their rate of survival to weaning.
Related website:
USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension
Join 26,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the feed sector, three times a week.
