Long-Term Effects of Dietary Additions of Alfalfa and Tallow on Sow Reproductive Performance

Abstract

SummaryEighty-eight crossbred sows were used to evaluate the effects of including sun-cured alfalfa in gestation diets and tallow in lactation diets on reproductive performance for three successive reproductive cycles. Two pelleted gestation diets were fed: (1) no alfalfa and (2) 50% alfalfa. Both diets were fed at the rate of 6,000 kcal of ME/head/day for the first 90 days of gestation. Two lactation diets were fed, one containing no added tallow and the other 8% stabilized tallow. Lactation diets were initiated at approximately 90 days of gestation and fed at a rate of 2.72 kg/head/day until farrowing and offered ad libitum postpartum. A higher percentage of the sows fed the alfalfa treatment completed the three gestation-lactation cycles than did those fed the control diet. Although total pigs farrowed per litter did not differ significantly between treatments, a reduction (P<.05) in average birth weight was observed for the alfalfa-fed group. The number of pigs alive at 14 days was higher for the alfalfa-fed group (P<.05). Survival rate pooled over the three reproductive cycles was approximately 8% higher for sows fed alfalfa; the addition of tallow did not significantly improve survival rate. Sows fed alfalfa diets gained less (P<.05) during gestation than controls, but lactation diets did not affect maternal weight gains. Sows fed the tallow lactation diet consumed 6.8% less feed than the controls (P<.05), but total energy intake for both diets was similar.

The effect of various diet nutrient densities and electrolyte balances on sow and litter performance during two seasons of the year

“…Reports on changes in daily nutrient intake as a result of increased dietary energy have been variable. Pollman et al (1980) reported decreased feed intakes, but similar ME intakes, when sows were fed diets with or without 8% added tallow. Sows fed highenergy diets with 1ysine:energy ratios maintained at the level of the control diets have been reported to increase feed intake by 3% and increase energy intake by 14% (O'Grady et al, 1985).…”

Effect of Tallow and Choline Chloride Addition to the Diet of Sows on Milk Composition, Milk Yield and Preweaning Pig Performance2

“…This may reflect an increase in the caloric density of the tallow-supplemented diet. Other researchers have reported a reduction in daily feed intake due to the addition of fat to the diet (Cast et al, 1977;Boyd et ai., 1978;Allee and Salava, 1978;Pollmann et al, 1980). Survival to 21 d did not differ significantly between pigs from sows receiving tallow (94.0%) and those from sows receiving the control diet (92.5%).…”

Effects of Dietary Fiber of Young Adult Genetically Lean, Obese and Contemporary Pigs: Rate of Passage, Digestibility and Microbiological Data

“…Microbial degradation of fiber in the cecum and colon of pigs may generate up to 30% of the animal's energy requirement (Rerat et al, 1987). This figure may even be higher for adult animals because sows can maintain normal reproductive performance when fed diets containing 96% to 100% alfalfa meal (Danielson and Noonan, 1975;Pollman et al, 1981;Calvert et al, 1985), and the numbers of cellulolytic bacteria in fecal samples of adult pigs are larger than those in growing pigs (Varel and Pond, Z Received April 27, 1987. Accepted October 20, 1987.…”