Author
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Richards, Mark |
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Submitted to: Concepts in Pig Science 2001
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 12/11/2000 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Mineral nutrition is an important factor to consider in the feeding of the female pig during pregnancy and lactation. If dietary mineral deficiencies occur during these two important periods of reproduction, not only will the health of the sow be affected, but the survival of her offspring can be jeopardized. Feeding minerals above of the amount required to support a successful pregnancy or lactation is not only costly, but it can result in an excessive loss of minerals to the environment in the manure produced. Thus, it is important to understand sow mineral nutrition, especially during her reproductive lifetime. In doing so it then will be possible for pig producers to better formulate diets fed to these animals that will minimize cost while reducing environmental impact. Technical Abstract: Gestation and lactation impose significant demands for minerals on the sow. To meet these demands, the sow must rely on her diet or on her tissue stores. If a single diet is fed throughout gestation and lactation, then it is important to ensure that the mineral intake based on the quantity of feed consumed is matched to the demands at each stage of the reproductive cycle. In cases of restricted feeding, mineral composition of the diet ca be 'adjusted' to meet the daily requirements of the sow. However, addition of excessive levels of many mineral elements will not produce beneficial effects on sow productivity. It may be possible to supplement the sow at critical periods during reproduction to prevent excessive depletion of her body stores or to enhance the accretion of minerals by the fetus and suckling pig. This may be particularly relevant to today's higher producing lines of sows whose requirements for minerals may be increased as sa result of the demands of larger litter sizes and weights, as well as, higher number of parity cycles completed. The use of organic forms of certain minerals (selenium and chromium) has been suggested to be beneficial in the nutrition of gestating and lactating sows. This emphasizes the importance of considering dietary mineral bioavailability in addition to the absolute amount fed to the sow. As more information becomes available concerning the mechanisms regulating mineral metabolism in the sow, it will be possible to formulate the sow's diet to better meet her needs while avoiding the unwanted environmental impact of excess mineral excretion. |
