Comparative effects of sodium butyrate and flavors on feed intake of lactating sows and growth performance of piglets.
We examined the effects of sodium butyrate and flavors on feed intake of lactating sows and growth performance of piglets. A total of 52 primiparous sows (Large White) were randomly divided into four treatments (n = 13) and received 6 g/kg sodium butyrate (SB), fruit-milk (FM) flavor and fruit-milk-anise (FMA) flavor with pair feeding to the mothers receiving the control diet. The feeding trial lasted for 29 days, including 21 days of nursing and 8 days of post-weaning period, respectively. The nursing and weaning piglets received creep diets with the same flavor or SB supplement as their mother. The results showed that FMA flavor increased average daily feed intake (ADFI) of lactating sows (P < 0.01), as well as improved litter weight gain (P = 0.05) and ADFI (P < 0.01) of nursing pigs among treatments. Indeed, greater ADFI and average daily gain of weaning piglets for the initial 8 days after weaning was observed in the FMA group compared with those in the control group (P < 0.01). These findings indicated that adding FMA flavor was superior to SB for increasing feed intake of lactating sows and improving growth performance of piglets.
Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
Jun
J
Wang
Mei
M
Yang
Shengyu
S
Xu
Yan
Y
Lin
Lianqiang
L
Che
Zhengfeng
Z
Fang
De
D
Wu
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D020148:Butyric Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008892:Milk; D028042:Pimpinella; D011247:Pregnancy; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D014886:Weaning; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D005421:Flavoring Agents; D020148:Butyric Acid
feed intake; flavor; lactating sows; piglet performance; sodium butyrate