What are the effects of probiotics on sow longevity?


By Tom Rijsselaere and Pauline Rovers-Paap, Orffa


Optimal body condition score at the end of the lactation period positively influences the longevity of the sows and results in feed cost savings in the next gestation. Use of dietary probiotics has been proven to reduce weight losses during the lactation period and as a result, improve sow fertility. At the same time, probiotics are able to increase piglet weaning weight. Therefore, addition of probiotics seems to be a very promising feed strategy for sustainable pig production.


Longevity and cost With increasing numbers of piglets born, energy requirement for milk production in prolific sows increases. Feed intake during the lactation period is often not sufficient to fulfil all the requirements for high milk production. As a consequence the sow will use her own body reserves which can lead to serious body condition losses during lactation. An important concern of this negative energy balance is the adverse effect on reproductive performance and productivity in the next cycle. In particular, gilts, which have not yet reached their mature body weight, and lean dam lines are sensitive to detrimental body weight losses. As a result, sows are often culled before their third or fourth parity which is before the time at which the sow reaches her maximum productivity and her replacement costs are covered (i.e. generally between the 4th and 7th


parity). It is estimated that every kg body weight lost during lactation has


to be compensated by an additional amount of 4 kg feed in the next gestation period. Based on this estimation, a loss of body weight of 15 kg requires an additional amount of 60 kg gestation feed in the next cycle just for recovery. From financial point of view and for better life time performance of the sow, it is clear that body weight losses during lactation should be limited as much as possible.


Pro- or antibiotics Use of probiotics is an important item to consider in sustainable pig production strategies. The term probiotic originates from ‘pro’ (for) and ‘bios’ (life) – a useful explanation as probiotics are known to


support the development of beneficial microbes in the intestinal tract. Probiotics support feed digestion and create a positive environment for beneficial intestinal microbes (e.g. Lactobacillus). The positive shift in the microflora results in reduced amounts of opportunistic bacteria such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Clostridium. Supporting beneficial bacteria by probiotics is in clear contrast to the use of antibiotics, known for their ability to kill or inhibit the development of bacteria and which are therefore very effective against pathogenic bacteria species. However, antibiotics not only limit the growth of the ‘bad guys’; it is well known that antibiotic treatment also negatively influences the beneficial bacteria.


Efficacy of probiotics in sows In a recent study performed at the Free University of Berlin (Germany), the effect of a Bacillus subtilis type probiotic* was investigated in sows over two sequential reproduction cycles. A total of 50 Danbred sows of parity 2-5 were equally divided between a control group (without probiotic) and a probiotic group, taking into account that both groups were similar in terms of parity, body condition and live weight. Over the entire study period, the sows were maintained in the same treatment group and were offered either a control or a probiotic mash diet. Cross-fostering to equalize litter size to approximately 14 piglets per litter was carried out within 24h after farrowing and occurred within the same treatment group. Suckling piglets were offered creep feed from 7 days of age to weaning (25 days of age), with or without probiotics depending on the treatment of the sow. The addition of the probiotic in sow diets significantly reduced


losses of body weight and back fat in the critical lactation period. From the end of gestation until the end of lactation, the sows lost 30 - 45 kg body weight of which 25 - 27 kg was related to the birth of the piglets (blue part of the bars, figure 1). The difference in body weight immediately after farrowing and after weaning gives a clear insight on the weight losses related to the negative energy balance in the lactation period. Use of the dietary probiotic resulted in a significantly lower


Table 1: Piglet performance during 2 cycles in Danbred sows fed a diet with or without probiotic Cycle 1


Total born piglets / litter Piglets after cross fostering Litter weight at weaning Piglet weaning weight Faecal scoring*


Control 15.92 14.08 91.02a 6.65a 3.46a


Probiotic 16.28 14.08 95.41b 6.96b 3.84b


+ 4.39 kg + 0.31 kg + 0.38


Control 16.08 14.29 88.38a 6.54 3.63a


* Faecal scoring: 1, diarrhoea; 2, pasty; 3, formed faeces, soft to cut; 4, optimal, well-formed; 5, hard and dry (a,b: Different superscript are significant different within cycle (P<0,05))


PAGE 30 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 FEED COMPOUNDER Cycle 2


Probiotic 16.52 14.28 92.28b 6.83 3.84b


+ 4.90 kg + 0.29 kg + 0.21


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