Body composition at farrowing and nutrition during lactation affect the performance of primiparous sows. I. Voluntary feed intake, weight loss, and plasma metabolites

• Published in: Journal of animal science 1998-07, Vol.76 (7), p.1729-1737
• Main Authors: Revell, D.K. (Massey Univ., New Zealand.), Williams, I.H, Mullan, B.P, Ranford, J.L, Smits, R.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID; ACIDE GRAS; ACIDOS GRASOS; Adipose Tissue - anatomy & histology; ADIPOSE TISSUES; ALIMENTACION AD LIBITUM; ALIMENTACION DE LOS ANIMALES; ALIMENTATION A SATIETE; ALIMENTATION DES ANIMAUX; ANIMAL FEEDING; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animal productions; Animals; AZUCAR EN SANGRE; BACKFAT; BARDIERE; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - analysis; BLOOD LIPIDS; BLOOD PLASMA; BLOOD SUGAR; Body Composition - physiology; BODY CONDITION; BODY FAT; BODY WEIGHT; CERDAS; CONDICION CORPORAL; DIET; Diet - veterinary; DIETA; Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage; Eating - physiology; ENERGY VALUE; ETAT CORPOREL; FAT THICKNESS; FATTY ACIDS; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - blood; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GILTS; GLICEROL; Glucose - administration & dosage; GLYCEROL; Glycerol - blood; HEMOLIPIDOS; Hogs; Hydroxybutyrates - blood; INSULIN; Insulin - blood; INSULINA; INSULINE; Labor, Obstetric - physiology; LACTACION; LACTATION; Lactation - blood; Lactation - physiology; LIPIDE SANGUIN; Nutrition; Oils & fats; PARTO; PARTURITION; PESO CORPORAL; PLASMA SANGUIN; PLASMA SANGUINEO; POIDS CORPOREL; Pregnancy; PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; PROTEINS; REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; SOWS; SUCRE DU SANG; Swine - blood; Swine - growth & development; Swine - physiology; TEJIDO ADIPOSO; Terrestrial animal productions; TISSU ADIPEUX; TOCINO DORSAL; TRUIE; UNRESTRICTED FEEDING; VALEUR ENERGETIQUE; VALOR ENERGETICO; Vertebrates; VOLUNTARY INTAKE; Weight
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163; 0021-8812
• DOI: 10.2527/1998.7671729x

We used 35 primiparous sows to investigate the link between body fatness at farrowing and voluntary feed intake (VFI) during lactation. Two groups of sows were fed differently throughout gestation (either 2.3 kg/d of a diet containing 5.8% CP and 14.6 MJ DE/kg as fed or 1.7 kg/d of a diet containing 15.6% CP and 14.5 MJ DE/kg as fed) so that they commenced lactation at a similar body weight (158 to 152 kg) but with different body compositions: either 340 (fat) or 280 (lean) g of body fat/kg BW (P .001). During lactation, sows were offered either a low-protein diet (7.9% CP and 15.5 MJ DE/kg as fed) or a high-protein diet (19.0% CP and 15.6 MJ DE/kg as fed) on an ad libitum basis. During lactation, VFI was measured daily, and sow body weight and backfat were measured weekly. Blood samples were collected from sows on d 110 of gestation and d 14 and 28 of lactation, and plasma was analyzed for NEFA, glycerol, insulin, glucose, and beta-hydroxybutyrate. Fat sows ate 30% less than their lean counterparts during lactation (P .001), which corresponded to a 70% higher concentration of NEFA in plasma (P