Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-qsmjn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T19:50:56.637Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effects of food level during lactation and early gestation on the reproductive performance of mature sows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2016

P. E. Hughes
P. E. Hughes*
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia
Get access

Abstract

Seventy-six Large White × Landrace sows from parities 2 to 6 were allocated to one of four treatments at day 110 of gestation on a parity and live-weight basis. The four treatments involved food levels of either 3 or 6 kg/day during a 28-day lactation followed by either 1·75 or 3·50 kg/day during the first 28 days of gestation. Litter size suckled was standardized at 10 piglets wherever possible. Live weight and backfat changes were monitored in all sows and litter growth and survival rates were recorded. Post weaning all sows were given daily boar contact and mated twice at the first observed oestrus. A single blood sample was collected from each sow at days 7, 14, 21 and 28 of gestation for determination of plasma progesterone concentration. Data on litter size and piglet birth weights were collected at the subsequent parturition. Sows low-fed during lactation lost significantly more live weight (31·2 v. 5·8 kg, P < 0·01) and P2 backfat (3·6 v. 1·9 mm, P < 0·05) in lactation than did high-fed sows. Underfeeding the lactating sow also significantly reduced the weaning weight of the litter (62·3 v. 68·7 kg for low- v. high-fed sows, P < 0·05), but did not significantly change either creep food intake by the litter or pre-weaning mortality rate. Parity 2 sows weaned significantly heavier piglets and litters than did sows from parities 3 to 6 (7·48 and 74·9 kg v. 6·72 and 63·8 kg respectively, P < 0·01). Food level in lactation did not significantly influence the length of the rebreeding interval (6·3 v. 7·3 days for high- v. low-fed sows) and although there was a two-fold difference in the proportion of sows failing to exhibit oestrus post weaning (0·08 v. 0·16 for high- v. low-fed sows) this difference was also not significant. Lactation food level did not significantly influence either sow live-weight or backfat change in gestation, plasma progesterone concentrations during early gestation or subsequent litter size. However, sows low-fed in lactation did tend to produce fewer piglets in the subsequent litter (9·54 v. 10·75 piglets born alive for low- and high-fed sows respectively, P = 0·062). Post-weaning reproductive performance was significantly affected by sow live weight (P < 0·05) and backfat (P < 0·01) at parturition, and live weight (P < 0·01) and backfat (P < 0·05) at weaning, but not by changes in these parameters during lactation. Food level in early gestation did not significantly influence either plasma progesterone concentrations, the size of the subsequent litter (10·09 v. 20·29 piglets born alive for high- and low-fed sows respectively) or mean piglet birth weight (1·27 v. 2·22 kg for high- and low-fed sows respectively). It is concluded that (1) both lactation food level and parity may alter pre-weaning piglet growth, and (2) the effects of lactation food level on the subsequent reproductive performance of mature sows appear to be different from those seen in parity 1 sows.

Keywords

food intakelactationpregnancyreproductive performancesows
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 57 , Issue 3 , December 1993 , pp. 437 - 445
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aherne, F. X. and Kirkwood, R. N. 1985. Nutrition and sow prolificacy. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, supplement 33, pp. 169–183.Google ScholarPubMed
Armstrong, J. D., Britt, J. H. and Kraeling, R. R. 1986. Effect of restriction of energy during lactation on body condition, energy metabolism, endocrine changes and reproductive performance in primiparous sows. Journal of Animal Science 63:1915–1925.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cole, D. J. A. 1990. Nutritional strategies to optimise reproduction in pigs. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, supplement 40, pp. 67–82.Google Scholar
Den Hartog, L. A. and Kempen, G. J. M. van. 1980. Relation between nutrition and fertility in pigs. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 28:211–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dyck, G. W., Palmer, W. M. and Simaraks, S. 1980. Progesterone and luteinizing hormone concentrations in serum of pregnant gilts on different levels of feed consumption. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 60: 877–884.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dyck, G. W. and Strain, J. H. 1983. Postmating feeding level effects on conception rate and embryonic survival in gilts. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 63:579–585.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esbenshade, K. L., Britt, J. H., Armstrong, J. D., Toelle, V. D. and Stanislaw, C. M. 1986. Body condition of sows across parities and relationship to reproductive performance. Journal of Animal Science 62:1187–1193.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henry, R. W., Pickard, D. W. and Hughes, P. E. 1984. The effects of lactation length and food level on subsequent reproductive performance in the sow. Animal Production 38: 527 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Hughes, P. E. 1989. Nutrition-reproduction interactions in the breeding sow. In Manipulating pig production II (ed. Barnett, J. L. and Hennessy, D. P.), pp. 277–280. APSA, Werribee, Australia.Google Scholar
Hughes, P. E., Henry, R. W. and Pickard, D. W. 1984. The effects of lactation food level on subsequent ovulation rate and early embryonic survival in the sow. Animal Production 38: 527 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Johnston, L. J., Fogwell, R. L., Weldon, W. C., Ames, N. K., Ullrey, D. E. and Miller, E. R. 1989. Relationship between body fat and postweaning interval to estrus in primiparous sows. Journal of Animal Science 67: 943–950.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
King, R. H. and Dunkin, A. C. 1986. The effect of nutrition on the reproductive performance of first-litter sows. 3. The response to graded increases in food intake during lactation. Animal Production 42:119–125.Google Scholar
King, R. H. and Williams, I. H. 1984. The effect of nutrition on the reproductive performance of first-litter sows. 1. Feeding level during lactation, and between weaning and mating. Animal Production 38: 241–247.Google Scholar
King, R. H., Williams, I. H. and Barker, I. 1984. The effect of diet during lactation on the reproductive performance of first-litter sows. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 15: 412–415.Google Scholar
Kirkwood, R. N., Baidoo, S. K., Aherne, F. X. and Sather, A. P. 1987a. The influence of feeding level during lactation on the occurrence and endocrinology of the post-weaning estrus in sows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 67: 405–415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirkwood, R. N., Lythgoe, E. S. and Aherne, F. X. 1987b. Effect of lactation feed intake and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone on the reproductive performance of sows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 67: 715–719.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirkwood, R. N., Mitaru, B. N., Gooneratne, A. D., Blair, R. and Thacker, P. A. 1988. The influence of dietary energy intake during successive lactations on sow prolificacy. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 68: 283–290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirkwood, R. N. and Thacker, P. A. 1988. Nutritional factors affecting embryo survival in pigs (results and speculations). Pig News and Information 9:15–21.Google Scholar
Klaver, J., Kempen, G. J. M. van, Lange, P. G. B. de, Verstegen, M. W. A. and Boer, H. 1981. Milk composition and daily yield of different milk components as affected by sow condition and lactation/feeding regimen. Journal of Animal Science 52:1091–1097.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knight, J. W., Bazer, F. W. and Wallace, H. D. 1973. Hormonal regulation of porcine uterine protein secretion. Journal of Animal Science 36: 546–553.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, P. A., Close, W. H. and Wood, J. 1989. Long-term performance and body composition of sows given differing levels of food intake during pregnancy and lactation. Animal Production 48: 641–642 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Prime, G. R., Varley, M. A. and Symonds, H. W. 1988. The effect of food intake during lactation and early pregnancy on plasma progesterone concentrations and prolificacy in multiparous sows. Animal Production 46: 499 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Reese, D. E., Moser, B. D., Peo, E. R., Lewis, A. J., Zimmerman, D. R., Kinder, J. E. and Stroup, W. W. 1982. Influence of energy intake during lactation on the interval from weaning to first estrus in sows. Journal of Animal Science 55:590–598.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roberts, R. M. and Bazer, F. W. 1988. The functions of uterine secretions. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 82: 875–892.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sokal, R. R. and Rohlf, F. J. 1981. Biometry. 2nd ed. Freeman, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Yang, H., Eastham, P. R., Phillips, P. and Whittemore, C. T. 1989. Reproductive performance, body weight and body condition of breeding sows with differing body fatness at parturition, differing nutrition during lactation, and differing litter size. Animal Production 48:181–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yen, H. T., Cheng, C. S. and Lee, D. N. 1990. A study of reproductive performance of sows under feeding conditions in Taiwan. 1. The response to different feed intake. Proceedings of the fifth conference of the Asian Association of Animal Production, Taipei, volume 3.Google Scholar