The Effect of Yeast Selenium on Reproductive Performance in Late-Pregnancy Sows
The trial aimed to investigate the effects of adding selenium yeast (SeY) to the diet during late gestation on the reproductive performance of sows. At 90 days gestation, 80 Large White and Landrace sows were selected and randomly divided into four groups. The control group (CON) received a basal diet, while the experimental groups (SeY) were fed basal diets supplemented with different concentrations of SeY. The feeding period spanned from 90 days gestation to 21 days post-farrowing. During farrowing, the umbilical cord was tied with a short thread, and each piglet was tagged with an identification label to match individual piglets with their respective placentas. Following placental expulsion and weight recording, placentas were collected and rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen. Additional fresh placental tissue was immediately fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for subsequent placental tissue sequencing.