Effects of fermented, aged garlic concentration supplementation in diets of lactating sows and their piglets

Abstract Text: It has been suggested that garlic might improve the growth performance of pigs. This study was conducted to determine the effects of fermented, aged garlic on lactating sows and their piglets. Experimental period was fifty eight days, from thirty days before farrowing to weaning. A total twenty sows (Landrace ⅹ Yorkshire) were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 pigs to treatments. Dietary treatments consisted of 1) CON (basal diet), 2) FG1 (CON + 0.1% Fermented Aged Garlic Feed Additive), 3) FG2 (CON + 0.2% Fermented Aged Garlic Feed Additive) and 4) IFG (CON + 0.1% Imported Fermented Aged Garlic Feed Additive). All diets based on corn and soybean meal were provided and formulated to meet or exceed the NRC (2012) following lactating sows feed program, fed two times a day and with restricted feeding and allowed ad libitum access to water and the lactation period was 21 d. The growth performance, blood profiles and nutrient digestibility of sows were analyzed at farrowing and weaning and fecal diarrhea score of piglets were measured every week. All data were subjected to the statistical analysis as a randomized complete block design using the GLM procedures of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC), and the pen was used as the experimental unit. Before carrying out statistical analysis of the microbial counts, logarithmic conversion of the data was performed. Differences among treatment means were determined using the Duncan’s multiple range tests with a P < 0.05 indicating a significant. In this study, body weight loss of sows fed FG1, FG2 and IFG treatments was significantly lower (P<0.05) than CON diet during lactating period. The sows fed FG1, FG2 and IFG diets had higher body weight of piglets at 3week and the end of experiment (P < 0.05). ADG of piglets was significantly higher when sows were fed FG2 and IFG diets than CON diet at 1week (P < 0.05. Fecal microflora population of piglets was decreased in the FG1, FG2 and IFG treatments (P < 0.05). Therefore, the results of this study suggested that Fermented Aged Garlic Feed Additive could improve the growth performance of sows and piglets.

Keywords: fermented garlic, growth performance, blood characteristics