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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Agroecosystems Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #234418
Title: Use of crude glycerol, a biodiesel co-product, in diets for lactating sows

Author
item SCHIECK, S. - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item JOHNSTON, L. - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item Kerr, Brian
item BAIDOO, S. - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item SHURSON, G. - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/16/2009
Publication Date: 3/16/2009
Citation: Schieck, S.J., Johnston, L.J., Kerr, B.J., Baidoo, S.K., Shurson, G.C. 2009. Use of crude glycerol, a biodiesel co-product, in diets for lactating sows. Journal of Animal Science. 87:63.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An experiment was conducted to evaluate the dietary effects of crude glycerol in lactating sow diets on sow and litter performance. Mixed parity (range = 0 to 13) sows (n = 345; 253 + 24 kg BW) were assigned randomly within gestation housing location and parity to 1 of 4 dietary treatments. The treatments were: a corn-soybean meal based diet (CON), CON + 3% glycerol (GLY3), CON + 6% glycerol (GLY6), or CON + 9% glycerol (GLY9). Dietary treatments were imposed on day 109 of gestation when sows moved into farrowing rooms. From day 109 of gestation until farrowing, sows received 2.25 kg/d of their assigned diet. At farrowing, sows were allowed ad libitum access to feed throughout lactation. Sows and litters were weighed on day 0 of lactation, after litter size was standardized within treatments to 10 pigs, and at weaning. Last rib backfat depth was recorded ultrasonically on day 0 and at weaning. Milk samples were collected at weaning from a randomly pre-selected group of sows (n = 84; 21 sows/treatment). Dietary treatment tended (P < 0.08) to influence ADFI. Inclusion of up to 9% crude glycerol had no effect on sow weight or backfat losses, wean-to-estrus interval for sows that returned to estrus by day 10 post weaning, litter size at weaning, or ADG of piglets. Dietary treatment had no effect on moisture, crude protein, crude fat, lactose, or ash content of sow’s milk. Results from this study suggest that lactating sows fed diets containing up to 9% crude glycerol perform similar to sows fed a standard corn-soybean meal control diet.