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Sow-related factors affecting the postweaning feed intake in Landrace × Large White females

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Abstract

During the weaning-to-estrus interval (WEI), a high feeding level is usually offered to recover losses due to lactational catabolism. However, several factors can affect the appetite, possibly impairing the efficacy of this strategy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sow-related factors on average daily feed intake (ADFI) during WEI in 142 primiparous and 458 multiparous sows. After weaning, the sows received 4.3 kg/day of feed and the wastage was recorded. The ADFI after weaning was lower in primiparous than multiparous sows, and on estrous day than in 2 and 3 days preceding estrus (P ≤ 0.05). In primiparous sows, lower ADFI was observed if they had higher backfat thickness at 112 days of gestation (BFT ≥ 11.5 mm) or higher reserves at weaning (BFT ≥ 10.5 mm, caliper units ≥ 12 or ≥ 157 kg; P ≤ 0.05). Higher body reserves at the end of gestation (caliper units ≥ 12, BFT ≥ 11.0 mm, or BCS ≥ 3.0) or weaning (caliper units ≥ 13, BFT ≥ 12.5 mm) negatively affected the ADFI in multiparous sows (P < 0.04). Weaned litter size ≤ 11 piglets (P = 0.06) and shorter lactation length (P< 0.01) decreased the ADFI in primiparous sows. Greater loss in caliper units during lactation tended to reduce ADFI in primiparous and multiparous sows (P ≤ 0.07). Multiparous sows with greater losses in BFT and BCS had lower ADFI (P ≤ 0.03). The ADFI during WEI is reduced when sows are in estrus or if they have greater body reserves.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Master Agroindustrial, especially to the staff from Master Carijos (Papanduva, Santa Catarina, Brazil), for providing the facilities for this study.

Funding

This study was partially financed by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)—Finance Code 001, and the Agroceres PIC for the financial support for this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departmento de Medicina Animal, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil

    Rafael Dal Forno Gianluppi, Matheus Schardong Lucca, Ana Paula Gonçalves Mellagi, Rafael da Rosa Ulguim & Fernando Pandolfo Bortolozzo

  2. Departmento de Zootecnia, Faculdade deAgronomia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil

    Mari Lourdes Bernardi

Authors
  1. Rafael Dal Forno Gianluppi
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  2. Matheus Schardong Lucca
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  3. Mari Lourdes Bernardi
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  4. Ana Paula Gonçalves Mellagi
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  5. Rafael da Rosa Ulguim
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  6. Fernando Pandolfo Bortolozzo
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Contributions

Conceptualization: Bortolozzo, F.P.; Ulguim, R.R.; Mellagi, A.P.M.G; Bernardi, M.L.; Gianluppi, R.D.F. Design of methodology: Bortolozzo, F.P.; Ulguim, R.R.; Mellagi, A.P.M.G; Bernardi, M.L.; Gianluppi, R.D.F. Data acquisition: Gianluppi, R.D.F; Lucca, M.S. Data analysis: Bernardi, M.L. Original draft: Gianluppi, R.D.F.; Bernardi, M.L. Writing and editing: Bernardi, M.L.; Mellagi, A.P.M.G; Ulguim, R.R.; Bortolozzo, F.P.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernando Pandolfo Bortolozzo.

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All management and procedures for this study were evaluated and approved by the CEUA—Ethical Committee of Animal Utilization/UFRGS (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul), process no. 34482.

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Gianluppi, R.D.F., Lucca, M.S., Bernardi, M.L. et al. Sow-related factors affecting the postweaning feed intake in Landrace × Large White females. Trop Anim Health Prod 53, 261 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02720-4

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