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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Livestock Issues Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #270367
Title: Effects of supplementing Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product in sow diets on performance of sows and nursing piglets

Author
item SHEN, YAN - North Carolina State University
item Carroll, Jeffery - Jeff Carroll
item YOON, ILKYU - Diamond V Mills, Inc
item MATEO, RONALD - Texas Tech University
item KIM, SUNGWOO - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/23/2011
Publication Date: 3/7/2011
Citation: Shen, Y.B., Carroll, J.A., Yoon, I., Mateo, R.D., Kim, S. 2011. Effects of supplementing Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product in sow diets on performance of sows and nursing piglets. Journal of Animal Science. 89:2462-2471.

Interpretive Summary: As genetic selection for higher prolific sows has increased, so have the nutrient requirements during gestation and lactation to allow for increased milk production to support these larger litters of piglets. Given that yeast products have been demonstrated to improve nutrient digestibility and utilization and milk production, the hypothesis was that providing a yeast product in the diets during critical time points would improve the overall performance of the sows and their progeny. Therefore, a collaborative study among scientists from ARS' Livestock Issues Research Unit, Texas Tech University, North Carolina State University, and Diamond V was conducted to evaluate the potential benefit of feeding a byproduct of yeast fermentation to sows prior to becoming pregnant, during gestation, and during the lactation period. The results of this study indicated that sows fed diets containing the yeast fermentation product throughout gestation and lactation raised pigs with increased litter weight gain. Possible modes of action include: improved maternal protein utilization, improved maternal health status, and increased milk production without affecting nutrient composition in colostrum and milk. Overall, the study demonstrates that feeding a byproduct of yeast fermentation may be beneficial not only to the sow, but to her offspring as well, by increasing nutrient utilization. This information will be of interest to swine nutritionists and swine producers that are seeking nutritional strategies to improve swine productivity.

Technical Abstract: Forty-two sows were used to determine the effects of adding Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product to gestation and lactation diets on performance of sows and their progeny. On 5 d before breeding, sows were allotted to 2 dietary treatments representing: (1) sows fed a diet with 12.0 g fermentation product/d through gestation and 15.0 g fermentation product/d through lactation (SCFP, n = 22), and (2) sows fed a diet with equal amounts of a mixture of corn and soybean meal instead of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (CON, n = 20). Sow BW and backfat thickness were recorded. Blood was collected from sows, as well as piglets, for the measurement of cell numbers, plasma urea nitrogen (PUN), and IgG. Fecal samples from d 7 to 9 of lactation were collected to determine apparent total tract nutrient digestibility. The composition of colostum and milk were also measured. No difference was observed on reproductive performance between treatments. However, sows in SCFP tended to have increased total litter weaning weight (P = 0.068) and litter BW gain (P = 0.084) than sows in CON. Neutrophil count was decreased (P < 0.05) by adding fermentation product on d 110 of gestation and d 17 of lactation, whereas, decreased (P < 0.05) white blood cell count was observed only on d 110 of gestation. Concentration of PUN tended to be greater (P = 0.069) for sows in CON than sows in SCFP on d 110 of gestation. Apparent total tract nutrient digestibility of ash, CP, DM, and ether extract was not affected by adding fermentation product. Protein and fat contents in colostrum and milk did not differ between treatments. Colostrum from sows in SCFP contained a greater (P < 0.05) amount of ash than from sows in CON. Immunoglobulin G measured in colostrum, milk, and plasma of piglets did not differ between sows in CON and SCFP. This study indicates that adding Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product in gestation and lactation diets has a potential to improve litter BW gain during lactation possibly by improving maternal protein utilization, as shown in a tendency of reducing plasma urea nitrogen, improving maternal health status, as shown in reduced neutrophil cell count, and increasing milk production, as shown in a tendency of improving litter BW gain without affecting nutrient composition in colostrum and milk.