Effect of Biotin Supplementation on Reproductive Performance and Foot Lesions in Swine

Abstract

reproductive performance and foot lesions in swine' Can. J. Anim. Sci. 60: 96r-969.Two experiments, using 231 gilts and primi-parous sows of Lacombe and Yorkshire breeding, were conducted during the winter and summer months to study the effect of biotin supplementation (200 and 300 ptglkg in exps. 1 and 2) of barley-wheat-soy gestation and lactation diets on reproductive performance and incidence of foot lesions in swine. The control and supplemented groups did not significantly differ in weight change during gestation or lactation in either breed. The number of pigs born a1ive, mean birth weight (kg), 2 I -day weight gain (kg) and number of pigs weaned (5 wk)perlitterwere9. 18, 1.38,4.15,8.0and8.9'7,1.35,4.l4,and7.6,respectively' for control and supplemented groups and did not differ significantly between treatments. The time to post-weaning estrus was similar (7 .62 vs. 7

Supplemental Biotin for Swine. II. Influence of Supplementation to Corn- and Wheat-Based Diets on Reproductive Performance and Various Biochemical Criteria of Sows during Four Parities

“…Brooks et al (1977), Halama (1979) and Simmins and Brooks (1983) have also reported a" reduction in the weaning to rebreeding interval with supplemental biotin. To the contrary, Penny et al (1981) and Grandhi and Strain (1980) noted no response in the weaning to estrous interval with biotin supplementation.…”

“…Halama (1979) also reported a 9% improvement in conception rate when biotin was supplemented to diets of sows showing visual signs of hair loss and foot lesions. Grandhi and Strain (1980) failed to obtain a response in conception rate with biotin supplementation.…”

“…Interest concerning the role of biotin in swine nutrition was rekindled in the mid-1970's with the observation from field trials that biotin supplementation resulted in an improvement in reproductive performance (Cunha, 1971). During the last 7 yr, numerous reports have suggested a beneficial effect of supplemental biotin on litter size, conception rate and the weaning to first estrus interval in sows (Brooks et al, 1977;Halama, 1979;Brooks and Simmins, 1981;Penny et al, 1981;Brooks, 1982); however, other reports (Easter et al, 1979;Grandhi and Strain, 1980;Hamilton et al, 1982) failed to show an improvement from supplemental biotin levels. The supplemental levels reported ranged from 100 to 2,000/lg/kg diet and included basal diets containing varying feedstuffs.…”

Reproductive performance of gilts and sows as affected by induced biotin deficiency and subsequent dietary biotin supplementation

“…Estimates of available biotin requirement for the sow (pg/kg diet) ranged from 55 to 220 (CUNHA 1972), or 137 to 540 based on extrapolated chick studies (BROOKS 1978). Since biotin supplementation of diets based on cereal and soybean meal had no effect on sow reproductive performance (EASTER et al 1979;GRANDHI & STRAIN 1980;NEWMAN & ELLIOTT 1980), it was likely that the available biotin contributed only by the cereal and soybean meal components (90-150 pg/kg) might have adequately met the biotin requirements of these sows. Data from the current study suggest that sow reproductive performance was optimised when the basal diet was supplemented with 100 pg biotin/kg to provide 147 pg available biotin/kg.…”

“…Furthermore, biotin supplemented sows took fewer days to return to postweaning oestrus (BROOKS et al 1977;HALAMA 1979;PEDERSEN & UDESEN 1980;SIMMINS & BROOKS 1983;BRYANT et al 1985) and also had higher conception rates (HALAMA 1979;SIMMINS & BROOKS 1983;BRYANT et al 1985). In contrast, other reports showed that biotin supplementation had n o effect on overall reproductive performance (EASTER et al 1979;GRANDHI & STRAIN 1980;NEWMAN & ELLIOTT 1980). Sow diets in western Canada are formulated mainly from barley and wheat, ingredients low in available biotin as measured by chick growth bioassay (FRIGG 1984;MISIR & BLAIR 1984).…”