Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
60
N-balance
Lys-balance
Energy-balance
Diet shift
40
20
0
-10
-5
0
5
10
-20
-40
3.5
2.5
4.5
6.5
Feed intake (kg/d)
Figure 7.8. Balances of energy, lysine and nitrogen of transition sows fed a common gestation diet until one
week prior to farrowing and then fed a lactation diet. The feed supply is adjusted in steps as shown in the
figure.
7.5
Future perspectives
Ideally, the nutrient requirements of sows should be expressed with respect to day
of gestation or lactation and not on a feed basis. This is particularly true during the
transition period, when requirements change substantially and rapidly and it is therefore
impossible to feed sows optimally with a single diet. Since the requirements for energy and
protein change independently of each other, it makes little sense to express the nutrient
requirements on a feed basis, whether on a kg or on an energy basis. Development of
new feeding strategies in order to match the rapidly changing nutrient requirements
for transition sows is an avenue which needs to be considered in the future in order to
improve feed utilization and productivity of sows. This will likely increase sow longevity
and reduce mortality of piglets and even of sows. Undoubtedly, energy, crude protein, and
lysine supplies around parturition are essential for sow productivity and requirements
must be met, but it is important to stress that other dietary nutrients (other amino acids,
vitamins and minerals) may indeed be the limiting factor(s) for sow productivity during
the transition period.
References
Abiven, N., Seegers, H., Beaudeau, F., Laval, A. and Fourichon, C., 1998. Risk factors for high sow
mortality in French swine herds. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 33: 109-119.
Akdag, F., Arslan, S. and Demir, H., 2009. The effect of parity and litter size on birth weight and
the effect of birth weight variations on weaning weight and pre-weaning survival in piglet.
Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances 8: 2133-2138.
Andersen, I.L., Nævdal, E. and Bøe, K.E., 2011. Maternal investment, sibling competition, and
offspring survival with increasing litter size and parity in pigs (
Sus scrofa
). Behavioral Ecology
and Sociobiology 65: 1159-1167.
