Specialized Feed-Additive Blends of Short- and Medium-Chain Fatty Acids Improve Sow and Pig Performance During Nursery and Post-Weaning Phase
Villagómez Estrada, Sandra (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)
Melo Duran, Diego Alexander (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)
van Kuijk, Sandra (Trouw Nutrition, Research and Development Department)
Pérez Hernández, José Francisco (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)
Solà Oriol, David (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)

Data:	2024
Resum:	This study explores the effects of adding specific organic acids to the diets of sows during late pregnancy and nursing, and how this affects the growth and health of their piglets. The research involved 72 sows and their litters, tracking 528 piglets after weaning. The sows were given either a standard diet or one enhanced with organic acids, and their piglets were monitored for growth and microbial counts. The results showed that the supplemented diet helped to minimize fat loss in sows and led to heavier, more uniform piglets at weaning. It also altered the gut bacteria of pigs, increasing beneficial bacteria and reducing harmful ones like E. coli. While the maternal diet did not significantly affect pig growth after weaning, it did continue to influence their gut health. These findings suggest that enhancing sow diets with specific organic acids can improve both the health of the mothers and the growth and well-being of their piglets, which could be a valuable approach for boosting productivity in pig farming. The present study investigates the impact of supplementing diets with a synergistic blend of short- and medium-chain fatty acids (SCFAs-MCFAs) during the peripartum and lactation phases on early microbial colonization and the subsequent growth performance of newborn pigs. The experiment involved 72 sows and their litters, with a follow-up on 528 weaned pigs. Sows were fed either a control diet or a diet supplemented with SCFAs-MCFAs and the pigs were monitored for their growth performance and microbial populations. Subsequently, selected weaned pigs were allotted to an SCFAs-MCFAs diet according to the maternal diet. Results showed that SCFAs-MCFAs supplementation led to reduced backfat loss in sows and improved pig weight and uniformity at weaning (p < 0. 05). Additionally, suckling pigs exhibited significant shifts in gut microbiota, including increased lactic acid bacteria and reduced Streptococcus suis populations (p < 0. 05). Although there was no influence of maternal diet on pig growth after weaning, there was a modulation on bacterial populations at 7 and 35 days post-weaning. Pigs fed SCFAs-MCFAs demonstrated improved feed efficiency with notable reductions in E. coli and Streptococcus suis counts. The findings suggest that maternal dietary supplementation with SCFAs-MCFAs can positively influence both sow and pig performance, offering a potential strategy to enhance productivity and health in the commercial swine production.
Drets:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Matèria:	Organic acids ; Short-chain fatty acids ; Nursery sows
Publicat a:	Animals, Vol. 14 (december 2024) , ISSN 2076-2615

DOI: 10.3390/ani14243692
PMID: 39765595

16 p, 869.7 KB

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