The impact of dietary supplementation of arginine during gestation in a commercial swine herd: I. Gilt reproductive performance

Authors: HINES, ELIZABETH - Iowa State University; ROMOSER, MATTHEW - Iowa State University; KIEFER, ZOE - Iowa State University; KEATING, AILEEN - Iowa State University; BAUMGARD, LANCE - Iowa State University; NIEMI, JARAD - Iowa State University; GABLER, NICHOLAS - Iowa State University; PATIENCE, JOHN - Iowa State University; HABERL, BENJAMIN - Iowa Select Farms; WILLIAMS, NOEL - Iowa Select Farms; Kerr, Brian; TOUCHETTE, KEVIN - Ajinomoto Company, Inc; ROSS, JASON - Iowa State University

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/9/2019
Publication Date: 7/11/2019
Citation: Hines, E.Z., Romoser, M.R., Kiefer, Z.E., Keating, A.F., Baumgard, L.H., Niemi, J., Gabler, N.K., Patience, J.F., Haberl, B., Williams, N.H., Kerr, B.J., Touchette, K.J., Ross, J.W. 2019. The impact of dietary supplementation of arginine during gestation in a commercial swine herd: I. Gilt reproductive performance. Journal of Animal Science. 97(9):3617-3625. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skz233.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skz233

Interpretive Summary: Amino acid supplementation has been extensively studied in growing pigs, but information on specific amino acid nutrition in gestating and lactating sows is limiting. This information is especially deficient for the amino acid arginine, which is a critical metabolic precursor for ornithine, nitric oxide, and creatinine which are important during the rapid cellular growth that occurs during gestation. The current study was conducted to determine if arginine supplementation during different gestational stages affects gilt reproductive performance. This experiment provides empirical data suggesting that gestational arginine supplementation had minimal impact on reproductive performance in first parity sows. These data also underscore the complexity of amino acid supplementation and the need for continued research into understanding how and when utilizing a gestational dietary arginine strategy can optimize fetal development and sow performance. This information is important for nutritionists at universities, feed companies, and pig production facilities for the determination of the nutritional value of supplementing arginine into the diet fed to gilts during gestation.

Technical Abstract: Supplemental Arg during gestation purportedly benefits fetal development. However, the benefits of a gestational Arg dietary strategy in commercial production are unclear. Therefore, objectives of this study examined Arg supplementation during different gestational stages and the effects on gilt reproductive performance. Pubertal gilts (n = 548) were allocated into four treatment groups: Control (n = 143; 0% supplemental Arg) or one of three supplemental Arg (1% as fed) treatments: from 15 to 45 d of gestation (n = 138; Early-Arg); from 15 d of gestation until farrowing (n = 139; Full-Arg); or from 85 d of gestation until farrowing (n = 128; Late-Arg). At farrowing, the number of total born (TB), born alive (BA), stillborn piglets (SB), mummified fetuses (MM), and individual piglet birth weights (BiWt) were recorded. The wean-to-estrus interval (WEI) and subsequent sow reproductive performance (to third parity) was also monitored. No significant effect of supplemental Arg during any part of P0 gestation was observed for TB, BA, SB, or MM (P = 0.29). Offspring BiWt and variation among individual piglet birth weights did not differ (P = 0.42 and 0.89, respectively), between treatments. Following weaning, the WEI was similar between treatments (average of 8.0 d ± 0.8 d; P = 0.88). Litter performance over three parities revealed a decrease (P = 0.02) in BA for Early-Arg fed gilts compared to all other treatments, while TB and WEI were similar between treatments over three parities (P > 0.05). There was an increased proportion of sows with average size litters (12 to 16 TB) from the Full-Arg treatment sows (76.8% ± 3.7 %) as compared to Control (58.7% ± 4.2%; P = 0.01), however the proportion of sows with high (> 16 TB) and low (< 12 TB) litters was not different between treatments (P = 0.20). These results suggest that gestational Arg supplementation had a minimal impact on reproductive performance in first parity sows. The data underscore the complexity of AA supplementation and the need for continued research into understanding how and when utilizing a gestational dietary Arg strategy can optimize fetal development and sow performance.