Effects of a high fibre diet around parturition in combination with an ad libitum feeding regime on the performance of sows and piglets

Over the last few years, the number of born and weaned piglets per sow has been increased continuously. The aim of this study was to investigate, whether a separate allocation of a high fiber diet in addition to an ad libitum feeding of sows in farrowing pens, leads to beneficial effects for sows and piglets.

From day 109 (d-7) of gestation, a total of 34 sows were fed daily two portions of a commercial lactation diet (per kg DM: 190g XP, 48.3g XF, 14.7 MJ ME) until d35 of lactation following a manually controlled restricted feeding scheme. 12 sows (ADLIB group) had the possibility to get additional feed out of a feeding dispenser containing from d-7 until d2 a fibre-lactation-diet mixture (~85 % fibre pellet – per kg DM: 125g XP, 179g XF, 8.85 MJ ME - and ~15% lactation diet) and from d3 onwards lactation diet. Feed intake of sows was measured daily. Furthermore faecal samples of all sows were taken. On d-7 and d35 body weight and back fat thickness of each sow were determined. Within 24h after parturition of the last sow, litters were standardized (ADLIB n=13.7±0.89, CONTROL n=13.6±1.05) by cross-fostering piglets; each piglet was weighed weekly. Differences between the groups were tested using the t-test (normal distributed) and the Wilcoxon-test (not normal distributed data; significance level: p< 0.05).

The voluntary feed intake in DM of the fibre-lactation-diet mixture a. p. was 3.14±0.68kg. The ADLIB fed group had a higher DM intake in lactation (7.37a±0.67kg vs. 6.69b±0.50kg) and lower body weight losses (-29.5a±14.2kg vs. -40.3b±13.5kg). Both, the loss of back fat thickness was in tendency lower (-2.39±2.15mm vs. -3.63±1.98mm) and the absolute piglet’s weight gain was slightly higher in the ADLIB group (122±13.0kg vs. 117±20.2kg). The number of raised piglets (12.8±1.49 vs. 12.8±2.05) did not differ between the groups. The dry matter content (DM in % on d-2: 26.4a±2.51 vs. 29.6b±4.08, d1: 30.4a±4.42 vs. 33.3b±4.67, d3: 26.6a±4.30 vs. 29.1b±3.92) and pH in faecal samples (pH on d-2: 6.30a±0.18 vs. 7.18b±0.38, d1: 6.35a±0.53 vs. 7.15b±0.35, d3: 6.49a±0.33 vs. 7.04b±0.40) were significantly lower in the ADLIB group. Birth interval between two piglets was slightly reduced in the ADLIB group (12.0±4.32min vs. 13.4±5.05min).

A higher feed intake a. p. does not seem to interfere with the farrowing process. Although an increased fibre intake around parturition leads to softer faeces and reduced pH, duration of farrowing is not reduced significantly. An ad libitum feeding regime seems to have beneficial effects on feed intake in lactation and on mobilization of body fat reserves.

Disclosure of Interest: None Declared.