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Phase feeding of lactating sow on ideal amino acid basis
The objective of this study was to investigate sow performance as affected by phase feeding versus conventional feeding during the lactation period. A total of 132 mixed parity (1 to 7) sows were assigned to two dietary treatments on d 109 of pregnancy. Sows were blocked by parity and had similar BW and backfat (BF). Sows in treatment 1 (n = 66, BW = 268.4 ± 22.63 kg, BF = 20.8 ± 4.71 mm) were fed a conventional lactation diet (1.0% SID Lysine, 18% CP) throughout lactation. Sows in treatment 2 (n = 66, BW = 266.4 ± 23.56 kg, BF = 20.6 ± 4.53 mm) were phase-fed in three different periods 1 (d 0-6), 2 (d 6-12) and 3 (d 12- d 18 (weaning)). SID lysine was 0.8%, 1.0%, and 1.2%, and CP was 16%, 18%, and 20% for phases 1, 2, and 3 diets, respectively. Ratio of lysine to other amino acids for lactating sows of mixed parity was according to NRC (2012) and kept similar across the dietary treatments. Sow BW and BF were measured during the start and end of each period. Total litter weight and individual piglet’s weight for 9 litters from each treatment was also measured during those periods. During the overall lactation period total litter wt. gain, BW loss and BF loss were 49.7 kg, 4.07 kg and 1.63 mm for the control group, and 50.8 kg, 3.23 kg and 1.63 mm for phase feeding group, respectively. Dietary treatments did not affect (P > 0.05) litter weight gain, sow BW loss and BF loss during all three phases and the overall period of lactation. Although the feed intake during phase 1 was numerically higher (control = 23.6 kg, phase feeding = 25.1 kg; P = 0.098) in phase feeding regimen, total feed intake during lactation was not different (control = 107.2 kg, phase feeding = 111.9 kg; P = 0.214) among the treatments. Coefficient of variation of piglet weight was similar across the treatment for all phases. Average daily weight gain of nursing pigs was also similar between the treatments across the phases. Our results indicate that phase feeding, based on ideal amino acids bases during lactation does not affect sow performance.
Keywords: lactation, sow, phase feeding