Effects of Feeding a Mineral Amino Acid Complex from Nursery to Second Parity on Sow Productivity and Gait Analysis

Seventy True Choice Genetics (CG32) gilts were allotted to two treatments at weaning (28-35 d) and were fed experimental diets from nursery through their second parity. Treatments were a control diet and the control diet plus a mineral amino acid complex (MAAC) (Avalia®Sow fed at 750 g/metric ton). Gilts were grown under standard conditions and then followed for their first two parities. Litter size, piglet birthweight and piglet weaning weight were recorded for each parity. The gilt’s gait was captured while walked through a dog bone track (7.5 m long) using a gait mat (GAIT4Dog®) pre-parturition (45-70 days pregnant) for both parities. Each gilt was walked until 6 usable repetitions were acquired. Data were analyzed for stance, swing, velocity, stride length, percent stance, cycle time and total pressure index. Claws and dewclaws were measured and recorded after walking. Data were analyzed in SAS 9.4 PROC MIXED repeated measures model. There were not differences in litter performance parameters the first two parities. Velocity increased in the treated sows the second parity (P < 0.03; 98.32, 107.17 cm/s, control and treated, respectively). Cycle time decreased in the treated sows for the second parity for both the front and rear legs (front P < 0.007; 1.00, 0.94 s; rear P < 0.002; 1.02, 0.93 s, control and treated respectively). Swing time second parity was decreased in the treated animals compared to the controls for both the front and rear legs (front P < 0.002; 0.33, 0.31 s; rear P < 0.001; 0.38, 0.36 s; control and treated respectively). Stance time decreased in the second parity for treated sows compared to control both the front and rear legs (front P < 0.003; 0.69, 0.62 s; rear P < 0.004; 0.64, 0.58 s; control and treated respectively). For the second parity percent stance decreased in the treated sows for the front legs (front P < 0.04; 66.58, 65.34 %) but was not significant for the rear legs. The total pressure index indicated that treated sows placed more weight on rear legs then control sows second parity (front P < 0.02; 58.11, 57.44%; rear P < 0.02; 41.90, 42.56%, control and treated respectively). There were no significant differences for claw lengths or sow productivity between the control and treatment. These differences provide evidence that adding MAAC impacts locomotion by improving gait quality in sows as they age.