Standardized ileal digestible lysine requirement of pregnant sows under commercial conditions

Impact of Precision Feeding During Gestation on the Performance of Sows over Three Cycles

This study evaluated the impact of precision feeding and bump feeding strategies during gestation on the reproductive performance of sows monitored over three cycles. Four treatments were compared: two constant-concentration feeding strategies (0.53% standardized ileal digestible lysine content; SID Lys) with the feed supply remaining constant (flat feeding; FF) or variable (bump feeding; BF) and two precision feeding strategies based on the InraPorc model considering performance by parity (precision feeding per parity; PFP) or the weight of each sow at breeding (precision feeding by individual; PFI). Sows were followed over three gestation and lactation cycles. In the first cycle (n = 502), the birth-to-weaning piglet mortality for PFP (8.7%) and PFI (10.3%) was lower than for BF (13.8%), with FF (11.3%) being intermediate (p = 0.001). No differences were observed in litter performance during the second cycle (n = 340). During the third cycle (n = 274), the stillborn rate was lower for PFP (6.2%) than for BF (9.1%) and FF (10.4%), with PFI (7.0%) being intermediate (p = 0.01). The BF strategy did not significantly improve sow or litter performance during lactation. Meanwhile, precision feeding could reduce nitrogen (10-13%) and total phosphorus intake (6-9%) with PFP and PFI strategies. Also, the results showed that it could even reduce piglet mortality during lactation.

Importance of Selected Nutrients and Additives in the Feed of Pregnant Sows for the Survival of Newborn Piglets

This systematic review analyzed the effect of selected nutrients and additives in the feed of pregnant sows on the survival of newborn piglets. We analyzed 720 peer-reviewed publications in English in PubMed® and Web of Science®, dated July 2023 to January 2024, related to the effect of dietary supplementation with fatty acids and various percentages of protein, amino acids, and/or sources of dietary fiber on the offspring of gestating sows. While several papers evaluated the effect of nutrition on gestating sows, only a few delved into the distinct feeding strategies required at each stage of gestation to meet the NRC's nutritional requirements for maternal tissue gain and postnatal neonatal survival and growth. This body of research suggests that as gestation progresses the sow's nutritional requirements increase, as the NRC established, to satisfy their own metabolic needs and those of their fetuses. Additional research is needed to determine an optimal feeding strategy.