Efectos del nivel de alimentación pre-parto sobre los resultados productivos y la uniformidad de peso de la camada en cerdas de elevada prolificidad

Abstract

This work hypothesized that increasing dams feed ration during the last third of pregnancy would trigger greater and more uniform birth weight of piglets. Ninety-six pregnant Landrace x Large-White sows sired by Pietrain boars were used to assess the effect of feeding level (HIGH, 1.2 x maintenance (M) vs. LOW, 1 x M) from day 90 of pregnancy to farrowing in a field study during the hot season. Individual feed intake and back-fat thickness was recorded throughout the last 3 weeks of pregnancy and 3 weeks of lactation. Productive parameters of sows and litter were registered after delivery (born piglets, mortality, piglets weaned, weaning to oestrus interval and individual piglets’ weight at birth (<24 h) and at weaning). Sow feed intake during lactation did not depend on previous pre-partum feeding level and it had inseno effect on sow body reserves dynamics from late pregnancy to subsequent weaning. The proportion of anoestrus sows after drying-off (> 10 days) was greater when pre-partum feeding level had been increased. Higher feeding level was not counterbalanced either with a greater litter weight at birth, or a lower within-litter variation of piglet body-weight or increasing body growth of piglets. Although the proportion of dead piglets during lactation was similar between groups, increasing pre-partum feeding level may have impact on the body-weight range of pre-weaning dead piglets, since this practice concentrated mortality events in animals displaying lower birth body-weights.