Past research has shown that increased supplementation of certain vitamins can enhance parameters such as conception rates, litter size, and the passage of maternal immunoglobulins; these experiments generally include increased provision of one or two vitamins. To understand the impact that supplementation of all vitamins beyond industry standards would have on sow productivity, the team developed two experimental diets formulated to either NRC (2012) recommendations (Control, CTR), or beyond industry standard (High Vitamin, HiVit). Utilizing the same gilts and sows, the experimental gestation diets were fed over two consecutive reproductive cycles. Factors such as litter size, weight, and survival were considered. Analysis of maternal blood serum, colostrum, and piglet serum was done to gain in-sight into the passage of maternal immunity. The high vitamin diet did not improve aspects of maternal performance and passage of maternal immunity overall, but interesting effects were detected. In the second reproductive cycle, second-parity HiVit gilts had significantly heavier litters than their CTR counterparts and both treatments in the first cycle, with no difference in litter size.
No consistent differences were seen regarding the impact of diet on maternal antibody measures. The findings related to gilt performance in the second cycle are of great interest due to current concerns about second parity syndrome and sow lifetime performance. Further research into vitamin supplementation in gilt diets, with the possibility including precision feeding, is pertinent.
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