Effects of high fiber intake during late pregnancy on sow physiology, colostrum production, and piglet performance1

Abstract

Dietary fiber given during pregnancy may influence sow endocrinology and increase piglet BW gain during early lactation. The aim of the current study was to determine whether dietary fiber given to sows during late pregnancy induces endocrine changes that could modulate sow colostrum production and, thus, piglet performance. From d 106 of pregnancy until parturition, 29 Landrace×Large White nulliparous sows were fed gestation diets containing 23.4 [high fiber (HF); n=15] or 13.3% total dietary fiber [low fiber (LF); n=14]. In the HF diet, wheat and barley were partly replaced by soybean hulls, wheat bran, sunflower meal (undecorticated), and sugar beet pulp. After parturition, sows were fed a standard lactation diet. Colostrum production was estimated during 24 h, starting at the onset of parturition (T0) and ending at 24 h after parturition (T24) based on piglet weight gains. Jugular blood samples were collected from sows on d 101 of pregnancy, daily from d 111 of gestation to d 3 of lactation, and then on d 7 and 21 of lactation (d 0 being the day of parturition). Postprandial kinetics of plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were determined on d 112 of pregnancy. The feeding treatment did not influence sow colostrum yield (3.9±0.2 kg) or piglet weight gain during the first day postpartum to d 21 of lactation. Colostrum intake of low birth weight piglets (<900 g) was greater in litters from HF sows than from LF sows (216±24 vs. 137±22 g; P=0.02). Preweaning mortality was lower in HF than LF litters (6.2 vs. 14.7%; P=0.01). Circulating concentrations of progesterone, prolactin, estradiol-17β, and cortisol were not influenced by the treatment. Sows fed the HF diet had greater postprandial insulin concentrations than LF sows (P=0.02) whereas the postprandial glucose peak was similar. At T24, colostrum produced by HF sows contained 29% more lipid than colostrum produced by LF sows (P=0.04). Immunoglobulin A concentrations in colostrum were lower at T0 and T24 (P=0.02) in HF than LF sows (at T0: 8.6±1.1 vs. 11.9±1.1 mg/mL; at T24: 2.5±0.7 vs. 4.8±0.7 mg/mL). In conclusion, dietary fiber in late pregnancy affected sow colostrum composition but not colostrum yield, increased colostrum intake of low birth weight piglets, and decreased preweaning mortality, but these effects were not related to changes in peripartum concentrations of the main hormones involved in lactogenesis.

Relationship between birth order, birth weight, colostrum intake, acquisition of passive immunity and pre-weaning mortality of piglets

“…In contrast, several authors reported that piglets born earlier during farrowing were heavier than those born later (Friend& Cunningham, 1966;Hartsock & Graves, 1976;and Motsi et al, 2006). Average colostrum production of sows and CI of piglets 6 were similar to that previously described in the literature: 3.4-4.9 kg/sow and 300-380 g/piglet (Devillers et al, 2007;Quesnel, 2011;Loisel et al, 2013;Charneca et al, 2015). Moreover, colostrum production was independent from litter size (SP) and litter weight.…”

Neonatal piglet survival: impact of sow nutrition around parturition on fetal glycogen deposition and production and composition of colostrum and transient milk

“…Loisel et al (2013) demonstrated that fiber supplied to sows from day 106 of gestation until parturition increased the fat content of late colostrum from 8.3% in control sows to 10.7% in sows fed high fiber. DF increases the plasma concentration of short-chain FAs (Hansen et al, 2012), which then can be used by the mammary gland as precursors for de novo synthesis of lipids .…”

“…Quesnel et al (2009) reported a numerically greater colostrum yield in sows fed a high-fiber diet compared with a low-fiber control diet from day 26 of gestation until parturition (3.4 v. 3.0 kg), although the difference was not significant. Recently, Loisel et al (2013) investigated the influence of the level and source of DF on colostrum yield. The amount of fiber was progressively increased to 23% in the sow gestation diet, from day 92 of pregnancy onward, compared with a 13% DF diet.…”

“…Altering the composition of sow colostrum via sow nutrition may be another way of transferring more energy to the neonate and thereby increasing neonatal survival, and colostral fat can be increased by altering the sow nutrition in late gestation (Nissen et al, 1994;Le Dividich et al, 2005;Loisel et al, 2013). In contrast with inclusion of fat or fiber in the sow diets, alterations in dietary composition are not likely to improve the energy transfer to the neonate by changing the lactose content.…”

Colostrum immune quality of local sow breed in Benin: Growth, survival and acquisition of passive immunity in new-born piglet

“…According to these observations, daily forages intake by local sows breed could explain their higher colostrum IgG levels. In contrast, high dietary fiber could decrease by half IgA in colostrum sampled at 24 h (Loisel et al, 2013). Feed studies taking into account sow metabolic status are…”