Supplementation of sow diets with a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product on lactation performance and fecal Clostridium perfringens

Clostridium perfringens is a gram-positive bacteria that can cause diarrhea and is commonly transferred from the sow to the piglet. The objective of this study was to evaluate dietary addition of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product during late gestation through a 21 d lactation on sow and litter performance, milk components, and fecal Clostridium perfringens.

On d 93 of gestation, sows (n = 41; PIC 29) were blocked by parity and BW and assigned to 1 of 2 dietary treatments: control (CON) or CON + 0.20% Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (XPC; Original XPC™, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA). Control gestation (3315 kcal/kg of ME; 0.60 % SID Lys), and lactation (3.30 kcal/kg of ME; 1.04 % SID Lys) experimental diets were formulated to be devoid of antibiotics and to meet or exceed NRC 2012 recommendations. Colostrum (within 6 h of partum) and milk (d 14) samples were collected from individual sows to determine IgG, IgA and lysozyme concentration. In addition, fresh grab fecal samples were obtained from sows and their litter on d 7 postpartum to quantify Clostridium perfringens using PCR.

Sows fed XPC had heavier 110 d BW (270.8 vs. 266.4 kg; P = 0.05) and gained more weight (22.85 vs. 18.48 kg; P = 0.05) during late gestation than CON. Sows fed XPC tended to have higher ADFI during lactation week 1 (3.64 vs 3.19 kg/d; P = 0.07) and overall (5.84 vs. 5.37 kg/d; P = 0.10). Moreover, XPC-fed sows had heavier piglet birth weights (1.40 vs. 1.28 kg; P = 0.05), reduced numbers of stillborn pigs (1.13 vs. 1.88; P = 0.04), and heavier average piglet BW on d 7 postpartum (2.86 vs. 2.60 kg; P = 0.04) than those fed CON diet. Colostrum IgA (14.34 vs. 15.06 mg/mL), IgG (80.93 vs. 86.80 mg/mL) and lysozyme (81.52 vs. 108.33 U/mL) were similar between XPC- and control-fed sows (P > 0.35). Similarly, milk IgA did not differ between treatments (P > 0.79). Milk lysozyme tended to be lower in sows fed XPC (23.6 vs. 31.6 U/mL; P = 0.09) when compared to CON-fed sows. Finally, XPCfed sows had reduced levels of Clostridium perfringens in both sow (2.86 vs. 3.33 log CFU; P = 0.09) and piglet (5.09 vs. 5.39 log CFU; P = 0.02) feces compared to those fed CON diet.

Supplementing XPC to sows in late gestation and lactation improved sow and litter performance, modulated milk lysosome level, and reduced the level of fecal Clostridium perfringens in both the sow and piglets.

Disclosure of Interest: None Declared