Effects of Dietary Arginine, Lysine, and Energy Levels on Physiological Responses and Reproductive Performance in Sows and Growth of Their Progeny

Abstract

Experiment I. Effects of Arginine Levels Compared with Increased Feeding on Reproductive Performance and Piglet Uniformity in Late-Gestating Sows

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of arginine levels compared with increased feeding on reproductive performance and piglet uniformity in late-gestating sows. In the first trial, a total of 40 F1 multiparous sows (Yorkshire × Landrace), body weight 246.1 kg

avg. parity 5.1, were allotted to one of four treatments in a completely randomized design (CRD). Dietary treatments were divided by the supplementation level of arginine during late-gestation period

1) CON : corn-SBM based diet + L-Arg 0% (Arg 0.72%), 2) Arg10 : basal diet + L-Arg 0.28% (Arg 1.0%), 3) Arg15 : basal diet + L-Arg 0.79% (Arg 1.5%), and 4) Arg20 : basal diet + L-Arg 1.35% (Arg 2.0%). Same lactation diet was provided ad libitum during lactation period regardless of dietary treatments. There were no significant differences in body weight and backfat thickness of sows during gestation and lactation. In addition, dietary arginine levels had no significant differences in the number of total born, stillbirth, total born, and piglet growth during lactation. Increasing arginine levels improved total litter weight (Linear, P=0.08) and alive litter wieght (Quadratic, P=0.07). However, additional arginine effect did not show the piglet uniformity in piglet birth weight and piglet weight at day 21 of lactation. Although there was no significant difference in blood profiles in gestating sows, blood urea nitrogen of lactating sows was increased as dietary arginine level increased (Linear, P<0.05). Additional arginine supplementation had no influence on composition of colostrum and milk (21d). In conclusion, L-arginine at 1.0% in late gestation improved total litter weight and alive litter weigth at farrowing. In the second trial, a total of 44 F1 multiparous sows (Yorkshire × Landrace), body weight 229.5 kg

avg. parity 4.8, were allotted to one of four treatments in a completely randomized design (CRD). Dietary treatments were CON (Arg 0.72%), Arg10 (Arg 1.0%), Arg15 (Arg 1.5%) and sows were fed at 2.4 kg/d experimental diet, and increased feeding treatment was provided at 3.0kg/d CON diet. Same lactation diet was provided ad libitum during lactation regardless of dietary treatments. There were no significant differences in change of body weight and backfat thickness of sows and lactation feed intake among dietary treatments. Also, additional dietary arginine levels had no significant influences on reproductive performance and growth of their progeny compared with increased feeding treatment. However, increasing arginine levels improved litter weight at 3 week and litter weight gain, respectively (Linear, P=0.06, P=0.05). Additional arginine intake during late gestation had no significant effects on piglet uniformity and blood profiles compared with those of increased feeding treatment. Consequently, dietary arginine up to 1.5% in late-gestation diet improved total litter weight and alive litter weight at farrowing, but it did not affect piglet uniformity at birth and piglet growth. Moreover, dietary arginine at 1.5% in late-gestation had an equivalent effect with increased feeding on piglet birth weight and their uniformity.

Experiment II. Effects of Dietary Energy and Lysine Levels on Physiological Responses, Reproductive Performance, Blood Profiles, and Milk Composition in Primiparous Sows

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary energy and lysine levels on physiological responses, reproductive performance, blood profiles, and milk composition in primiparous sows. A total of 48 gilts (F1, Yorkshire × Landrace), initial BW of 168.1 ± 9.71 kg on 35 day of gestation, were allotted to one of eight treatments with a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement. The first factor was energy level in diet (3,265 or 3,365 kcal of ME/kg), and the second factor was total lysine level in diet (gestation 0.55, 0.65, 0.75 or 0.85%, lactation 0.70, 0.85, 1.00 or 1.15%). All sows were fed 2.0 kg/d of experimental diet in gestation and lactation diet was provided ad libitum during lactation. High-energy treatment group showed a greater body weight gain and backfat thickness in gestation period (Energy, P=0.07, P=0.09, respectively). In lactation period, high-energy treatment group had higher body weight at day 21 of lactation (Energy, P=0.09) and lower body weight loss (Energy, P=0.05). Backfat thickness was higher in high-energy treatment group at 24hrs postpartum and day 21 of lactation (Energy, P=0.04, P=0.07, respectively). Weaning to esturs interval was shortened in Lys 0.55/0.70 and Lys 0.75/1.00 (Lysine, P=0.03). In reproductive performance, dietary energy and lysine levels did not affect the number of total born and born alive, total litter weight, alive litter weight, litter weight gain, and piglet uniformity. Sows fed high-energy treatment diet had a tendency of greater piglet weight at 21 day and piglet weight gain (Energy, P=0.08, P=0.08, respectively). Blood urea nitrogen was greater in high-energy treatment group (Energy, P=0.08) and showed the lysine effect (Lysine, P=0.09) in day 110 of gestation. In lactating sows, blood urea nitrogen showed a quadratic decrease in Lys 0.75/1.00 treatment at 24hrs postpartum and day 21 of lactation (Quadratic, P=0.02, P<0.01, respectively). In composition of colostrum, high energy treatment group had greater casein, protein, total solid, solid not fat, and free fatty acid than those of low-energy treatment group (P=0.03, P=0.03, P=0.03, P=0.03, and P<0.01, respectively). Also, free fatty acid in colostrum was higher in Lys 0.75/1.0 and Lys 0.85/1.15 treatment groups (Lysine, P<0.01). Sows fed high-energy treatment diet had a tendency of increased body protein mass at day 21 of lactation (Energy, P=0.05). In addition, body fat mass of sows fed a high-energy treatment diet tended to increase in whole gestation period and day 21 of lactation (Energy, P=0.06, P=0.08, respectively) and showed a lower body fat loss during lactation (Energy, P=0.09). Consequently, total lysine at 0.75% for gestation and at 1.00% for lactation with 3,365 kcal of ME/kg resulted in improving reproductive performance for primiparous sows and growth of their progeny.

Experiment III. Effects of Dietary Energy and Lysine Levels on Physiological Responses, Reproductive Performance, Piglet Uniformity, and Longevity in Sows during 1 to 3 parities

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary energy and lysine levels on physiological responses, reproductive performance, piglet uniformity, and longevity in sows during 1 to 3 consecutive parities. A total of 48 F1 gilts (Yorkshire × Landrace) were allocated to one of eight dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (CRD) during the first to third consecutive parities. Experimental diets were composed with different energy level (3,265 or 3,365 kcal of ME/kg) and total lysine level (gestation 0.55, 0.65, 0.75 or 0.85%, and lactation 0.70, 0.85, 1.00 or 1.15%). Third parity sows fed high energy diet had greater body weight at day 110 of gestation, 24hrs postpartum, and huge body weight loss (Energy, P=0.01, P=0.02, and P<0.01, resepectively). Increasing dietary energy level induced a thicker backfat thickness of sows at day 35 of gestation and day 110 of gestation at pairty 2 (Energy, P=0.01, P<0.01, respectively) and at parity 3 (Energy, P<0.01, P<0.01, respectively). In addition, high-energy treatment group showed a greater backfat thickness of 24hrs postpartum in parities 1, 2, and 3 (Energy, P=0.04, P<0.01, and P<0.01, respectively) and the end of lactation at parity 3 (Energy, P=0.01). High-energy treatment group had a greater protein mass in gestation at parity 2 or 3 and in lactation at parity 3 (Energy, P<0.01, P<0.01, and P<0.01, respectively). Sows fed high-energy treatment diet had a greater fat mass in gestation period at parities 2 and 3 (Energy, P<0.05, P<0.01), and in 24hrs postpartum at parities 2 and 3 (Energy, P<0.01, P<0.01). Although there were no significant effects of energy and lysine levels on reproductive performance such as total born, born alive, total litter weight, and alive litter weight, Lys 0.55/0.70 with 3,265 kcal of ME/kg treatment group showed higher performance among treatments. Although piglet weight at 3 week and piglet weight gain at the first parity were higher in 3,365 kcal of ME/kg treatment group (Energy, P=0.08, P=0.08), interaction responses were observed in final piglet weight and piglet weight gain at the third parity (Interaction, P=0.02, P=0.04). Low-energy treatment group at the second parity had a tendency of decreasing a standard deviation of piglet birth weight (Energy, P=0.06). Moreover, Lys 0.75/1.00% and Lys 0.65/0.85% treatments showed lower standard deviation of piglet birth weight at the second parity (Lysine, P=0.03). Lactation feed intake at parity 3 tended to increase in 3,265 kcal of ME/kg (Energy, P=0.07) treatment group. Considering the number of sow removal as pairty, 3,265 kcal of ME/kg treatment group showed high culling rate in the end of parity 1, and 3,365 kcal of ME/kg group showed high culling rate in the end of parities 2 and 3. Lys 0.55/0.70% with 3,265 kcal of ME/kg group did not have any culled sow and observed greater longevity than other treatment groups. Consequently, total lysine at 0.55 % in gestation diet and at 0.75% in lactation diet with 3,265 kcal of ME/kg resulted in better reproductive performance and longevity in sows at parities 2 and 3.