title: Effects of L-carnitine fed during gestation and lactation on sow and litter performance.
abstract: Multiparous sows (n = 307) were used to evaluate the effects of added dietary L-carnitine, 100 mg/d during gestation and 50 ppm during lactation, on sow and litter performance. Treatments were arranged as a 2 (gestation or lactation) x2 (with or without L-carnitine) factorial. Control sows were fed 1.81 kg/d of a gestation diet containing .65% total lysine. Treated sows were fed 1.59 kg/d of the control diet with a .23 kg/d topdressing of the control diet that provided 100 mg/d of added L-carnitine. Lactation diets were formulated to contain 1.0% total lysine with or without 50 ppm of added L-carnitine. Sows fed 100 mg/d of added L-carnitine had increased IGF-I concentration on d 60 (71.3 vs. 38.0 ng/mL, P<.01) and 90 of gestation (33.0 vs. 25.0 ng/mL, P = .04). Sows fed added L-carnitine had increased BW gain (55.3 vs 46.3 kg; P<.01) and last rib fat depth gain (2.6 vs. 1.6 mm; P = .04) during gestation. Feeding 100 mg/d of added L-carnitine in gestation increased both total litter (15.5 vs. 14.6 kg; P = .04) and pig (1.53 vs 1.49 kg; P<.01) birth weight. No differences were observed in pig birth weight variation. Added L-carnitine fed during gestation increased litter weaning weight (45.0 vs. 41.3 kg, P = .02); however, no effect of feeding L-carnitine during lactation was observed. No differences were observed in subsequent days to estrus or farrowing rate. Compared to the control diet, feeding added L-carnitine in either gestation, lactation, or both, increased (P<.05) the subsequent number of pigs born alive, but not total born. In conclusion, feeding L-carnitine throughout gestation increased sow body weight and last rib fat depth gain and increased litter weights at birth and weaning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506-0201, USA.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Musser
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Goodband
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Tokach
authors.forename: K Q
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Nelssen
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dritz
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Civis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D002331:Carnitine