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Response of sow and progeny to supplementation of dietary essential fatty acids during lactation
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different levels of essential fatty acids (EFA) on sow and progeny performance. Data were collected from 459 sows (PIC Camborough) from July to October in a 2,600-sow commercial unit in Oklahoma. Sows were balanced by parity, with 226 and 233 sows representing parity 1, and 3 to 5 (P3+), respectively. Sows were assigned randomly within parity to a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement and a control diet without added fat. Factors included: a) linoleic acid levels: 6.1, 7.9 and 9.7 g/Mcal ME and b) α-linolenic acid levels: 0.43, 0.78 and 1.14 g/Mcal ME. In this arrangement we obtained 9 different n-6:n-3 fatty acids ratios, ranging from 5.2 to 22.8. The different levels of EFA were obtained by adding to diets 4% of different mixtures of canola (oleic acid=75%), corn (linoleic acid=55%) and flaxseed oils (α-linolenic acid=43%). Diets were corn-soybean meal based with 12.0% wheat middlings and contained 3.38 Mcal ME/kg and 3.29 g standardized ileal digestible lysine/Mcal ME. Litters were standardized to 12 ± 0.03 pigs within the first 24 h of birth to begin the test. Animal performance data were collected at d 21 of lactation. Daily feed intake of sows was not affected by addition of oils to diets (P=0.986; 5.12 and 5.15 kg/d for control and oil supplemented diets, respectively), nor was it impacted by linoleic (P=0.215) or α-linolenic acid (P=0.739). There was no effect of linoleic (P=0.424) or α-linolenic acid (P=0.287) on sow BW change. Sows weaned more full value pigs (healthy pigs with BW greater than 3.6 kg) when they were fed oil supplemented diets (P=0.052; 11.0 weaned pigs) than those fed control diet (10.6). Moreover, litter growth rate was improved (P=0.048) when oil was supplemented to diets (2.39 and 2.52 kg/d, for control and oil supplemented diets, respectively), but it was not affected by linoleic (P=0.992) or α-linolenic acid (P=0.228). Efficiency of feed utilization (G:F; sow and litter gain relative to feed intake) was improved (P=0.003) with higher levels of α-linolenic acid in the diet (0.478, 0.466 and 0.488, for 0.43, 0.78 and 1.14 g/Mcal ME, respectively). In conclusion, there was a modest improvement in lactation performance due to oil supplementation, with improved feed efficiency due to α-linolenic acid. However, the impact of n6:n3 ratio on subsequent reproductive performance is not yet known.
Keywords:
Fatty acids, Lactation, Sows