J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1989. 67:3360-3369.
© 1989 American Society of Animal Science
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Effect of Dietary Folic Acid Supplementation on Sow Performance through Two Parities1,2,

R. C. Thaler3, J. L. Nelssen4,5,, R. D. Goodband4 and G. L. Allee6

Kansas State University, Manhattan 66502

Abstract

One hundred fifty-three gilts were maintained in three breeding groups and fed gestation-lactation diets supplemented with either 0 (control), 1.65 or 6.62 mg of supplemental folic acid/kg of diet for two consecutive parities. Serum folate concentrations of sows were linearly (P < .05) increased by dietary additions of folic acid during both gestation and lactation, but serum glucose and urea concentrations were unaffected by treatment Serum folate concentrations decreased from breeding to d 60 and 90 of gestation and then increased through lactation for all treatments. Number of pigs born and live pigs at birth, d 14 and d 21 were quadratically (P < .05) increased by folic acid additions. Average pig weights were similar among treatments (P > .10) on both d 0 and 14 of lactation but were less (P < .01) than the other treatment groups on d 21 for pigs from sows fed the 1.65 mg/kg treatment. Litter weights were quadratically (P < .01) increased on d 0 and d 14 by folic acid supplementation. Sow weight gain and backfat thickness loss were unaffected by treatment during gestation (P > .06); sow weight loss and backfat thickness loss increased quadratically with increasing level of folic acid during lactation (P < .06 and .05, respectively). More control sows exhibited estrus by d 7 postweaning than sows receiving folic acid supplementation in parity I (P < .05); however, no differences (P > .10) were detected among treatments by d 14, nor were any differences observed by d 7 in parity II. Conception rate was unaffected by folic acid additions. Dietary folic acid supplementation improved sow reproductive performance by increasing the number of pigs born alive.

Footnotes

1 Published as contribution no. 88-103-J from the Kansas Agric. Exp. Sta.

2 The authors wish to acknowledge Hoffmann-LaRoche, Nutley, NJ, for their support of this research.

3 Present Address: South Dakota State Univ., Dept. of Range and Anim. Sci., Brookings.

4 Dept. of Anim. Sci. and Ind.

5 To whom reprint requests should be addressed.

6 Present address: Univ. of Missouri-Columbia, Dept. of Anim. Sci., Columbia 65211.






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Copyright © 1989 by the American Society of Animal Science.