Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Livestock Issues Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #197767
Title: EFFECTS OF L-ARGININE SUPPLEMENTATION ON LACTATION PERFORMANCE OF FIRST PARITY SOWS

Author
item MATEO, R - TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
item WU, G - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item Carroll, Jeffery - Jeff Carroll
item SHINZATO, I - AJINOMOTO, TOKYO, JAPAN
item MOON, H - RDA, SUWON, KOREA
item KIM, S - TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/27/2006
Publication Date: 7/9/2006
Citation: Mateo, R.D., Wu, G., Carroll, J.A., Shinzato, I., Moon, H.K., Kim, S.W. 2006. Effects of L-arginine supplementation on lactation performance of first parity sows [abstract]. Journal of Animal Science. 84:257(Suppl. 1). Abstract #292.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This study was conducted to determine the effects of L-arginine (ARG) supplementation (1.0%) on lactation performance using 27 'rst parity sows with litter size greater than 9. An isonitrogenous diet (1.7% L-alanine, ALA) served as the control. Sows were allotted to four dietary treatments which consisted of gestation and lactation diets: ALA-ALA, ALA-ARG, ARG-ALA, and ARG-ARG (gestation-lactation). All gestation diets contained 3.1 Mcal/kg and 12.1% CP and all lactation diets contained 3.2 Mcal/kg and 18.6% CP. Litter size was equalized by cross fostering within the treatment groups before 24 h postpartum. Experimental diets were fed 2 kg/d during gestation and ad libitum during lactation. Individual feed intake of sows was recorded daily during lactation. Body weight and backfat thickness of sows, as well as body weights of individual piglets, were measured weekly until weaning at 21-d of lactation. The number of days return-to-estrus was recorded. Backfat thickness of sows measured at the P2 position did not differ (P=0.679), nor did average daily feed intake (P=0.524) among the treatments during the 21-d lactation period. All treatment groups had similar days return-to-estrus (P=0.778). Initial body weight of piglets did not differ among treatments after cross fostering (P=0.541). Piglets of sows fed 1% L-arginine from gestation to lactation (ARG-ARG) were heavier (2.35 vs. 2.68 kg, P=0.026) at 7 d of lactation and had a greater weight gain (0.971 vs. 1.253 kg, P=0.037) from d 0 to d 7 of lactation compared to piglets of sows fed the isonitrogenous diet from gestation to lactation (ALA-ALA). However, there were no differences in weight gains from d 7 to 21 among the treatments. Arginine supplementation in sow diets may improve the growth of neonate during early lactation period.