NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR

OPTIMIZING REPRODUCTIVE
PERFORMANCE OF SOW: A REVIEW
Jo-Christine Endaya
ANSC210
 INTRODUCTION

Genetic selection of pigs throughout the years has resulted to modern

sows that are heavier at maturity and produce litters that are larger
than the past two decades (Kim and Easter, 1999).

Nutrition and proper management are the key components (Close

and Cole, 2004)

It is important for producers to maximize reproductive potential during

sows’ lifetime (Vallet, et al., 2016).
 ORDINARY FACTORS THAT AFFECT
REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF SOWS

I. Parity
Higher parity females have higher reproductive performance with the
peak at 2 to 5 parities before it declines.

Reproductive Parameter Optimum Parity

Piglets Born Alive (PBA) 3 to 5
Farrowing Rate 2 to 4
Weaning weight 5

Weaning weight increases also as parity increases (5 pounds heavier

in parity 2 and 10 pounds heavier in parity 5)
 PHYSIOLOGY
Koketsu et al. (1996)

prolonged WMI of Parity 1 is due to their immature endocrine system and low
feed intake during lactation
hormone gonadotrophin secretion is decreased = restricted follicle growth in
the ovaries
II. Season

Gourdine, et al (2006)
 During hot season, there is high probability of increased weaning to
conception interval (WCI)

Suriyasomboon, et. al (2005)

 High temperature and humidity at previous mating had negative effect in
litter size.

Bertoldo et. al. (2012)

high temperature reduce GnRH secretion and impaired ovarian
follicle development
 REPLACEMENT GILT

A. Nutrient Requirement
Vitamins and minerals
Dietary concentrations of Ca and P need to be high enough to allow for
maximum bone mineralization
B. Feeding Strategies that Affect Puberty
providing high feeding level for estrus cycle before mating or flush
feeding followed by a low feeding level for the first 21 days post
mating (Ashword and Pickard)

utilizing a restricted feed intake program

• -the rate at which gilts attained puberty was greater for gilts developed
throughout with ad libitum access to feed than those restricted in feed
intake
C. Effect of Backfat to Litter Performance
Gaughan et al. (1995)
fewer litters were farrowed and fewer lifetime born
alive were produced by gilts with backfat depths of
between 9 to 13 mm at selection than gilts with depths
of 14 to 16 mm

Challinor, et al. (1996)

, lifetime born alive increased from 51.2 to 59.8 as mean
P2 backfat depth increased from 14.6 to 21.7 mm
2018 (18.0-23mm)

Restriction feeding and reducing protein level to

promote fat deposition over lean gain
D. Effect of Mycotoxins in Gilts
Zearalenone produced by Fusarium spp

maize and wheat are the most frequently affected cultures especially
when there is a high relative humidity

3 ppm of zearalenone can induce anestrus in gilts

Zearalenone can only induce early puberty in gilts (70 days) if fed at 2
ppm

low concentrations of zearalenone (0.235 to 0.358 ppm) significantly

reduced the intrinsic quality of the oocyte collected from the gilts.
 GESTATING SOW
A. Challenges in Nutrition for Gestating Sows
Overfeeding gestating sows may reduce feed intake and
therefore increased weigh loss during lactation

Overfeeding is commonly associated with single phase

feeding programs and if practiced at early gestation may
result in a waste of feed and money

Excessive loss of body weight through mobilization of backfat

and reserve protein during gestation was linked with reduced
litter performance
B. Phase Feeding

Single-phase feeding may increase embryo mortality in gilts and this is

related to a variation in the metabolic clearance rate of progesterone

In contrast, the effect of overfeeding could be beneficial on small

littermates through provision of additional nutrient supply

underfeeding in late gestation could lead to severe catabolic state

during lactation
C. Effect of Feed Additives on Reproductive Performance of
Gestating Sows

L-carnitine

L-carnitine can improve in the number of pigs born and

weaned

piglet birthweight was maintained despite having an

increase in piglets born alive

that L-carnitine can reduce the number of stillborns

enhance muscle fiber development of the offspring and this

improvement was maintained at slaughter.
Pyridoxine

Ester et. al (1983)

Pyridoxine was found out to increase litter size at birth and at weaning
Knights et al. (1998)
 a tendency to reduce wean to estrus interval when higher dose of
pyridoxine was added to gestating barley-based diet.
 LACTATING SOWS
King and Martin (1989)
decreased protein and energy intake during lactation can reduce milk
production
milk yield is dependent on both amino acid and energy intake

Zak et al., (1997)

 restricting feed intake during lactation of first-parity sows can lower
ovulation rates.
A. Low-feeding before and after farrowing
Goodband et al. (2006)
at 112 to 114 d of gestation, at least 1.8 kg/day should be fed
to increase feed intake rapidly during lactation.
B. Automatic or Ad-libitum sow feeding
Nichols et.al (2017)
using GESTAL Solo, a computerized feed delivery system, is a viable solution
to accurately dispense feed to lactating sows and support maximum feed
intake.
C. Effect of flavor
Langendijk et al. (2007)
that litters exposed to the garlic and aniseed flavors from creep
feed and the sows diet during lactation had higher feed intake
than those exposed to the flavor during creep feeding only
Monegue (2009)
effect of milky cheese flavor when fed on sow during lactation and
litter performance
sows on control diet had heavier litters at weaning and the sows
eat 8 kg more than sows with flavored diet
D. Fats and oils
supplemental dietary fat elevates milk fat in multiparous sows and
improves piglet growth throughout lactation irrespective of parity or
farrowing treatment
litter growth rate before weaning was increased when a fat-enriched
diet was provided during gestation and lactation (+140 g/day per
litter)
Neal et al. (1999)
tested different concentrations ( 0, 3, 6, and 9% ) of supplemetal low
acid yellow fat in corn-soybean based diet
Dietary fat level during lactation did not affect number of pigs born
alive or number of stillborns.
• the 9% fat level was associated with more mummified pigs at birth.