Feeding affects reproductive performance and reproductive endocrinology in the gilt and sow

Olli AT Peltoniemi , Claudio Oliviero, Outi Hälli and Mari Heinonen

Department of production animal medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki Pohjoinen pikatie 800, 04920 Saarentaus, Finland

author email corresponding author email

from Perinatal Death In Domestic Animals: The 20th Symposium of the Nordic Committee for Veterinary Scientific Cooperation (NKVet)
Reykjavik, Iceland. 26–27 April 2007

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2007, 49(Suppl 1):S6doi:10.1186/1751-0147-49-S1-S6


Published:	12 December 2007

First paragraph (this article has no abstract)

The pig is considered to be a highly prolific species with a high ovulation rate and if mated at the right moment, the sow also holds a very high probability of pregnancy. It is generally accepted that little variation in live weight of the sow throughout the production cycle is associated with high fertility and improved longevity. This goal requires high energy intake during lactation, which may be achieved by ad libitum feeding with high energy high protein lactation diet without feed restriction, especially during the last part of lactation. In endocrinological terms, gonadotrophin secretion is affected by suckling and metabolic messengers, which transfer information regarding lactation and metabolic state of the dam. These messages are received by the hypothalamo-pituitary axis and eventually follicular development is either inhibited or encouraged, depending on the messages. Management practices such as intermittent suckling are developed to alleviate the sow to meet with the metabolic challenges imposed by lactation and expected fertility. After mating, social stress and restricted feeding may create a situation where embryonic survival and pregnancy is jeopardized. The risk of losing embryos/pregnancy may be highest when individual sows experience considerable food deprivation for longer than two days around implantation. Feeding a sow group more may provide the farmer with simple solution to problems with early pregnancy. Approaching term, compromising between high birth weigh of newborn piglets associated with abundant feeding and a feed restriction together with increase in fiber to improve intestinal function may be the strategy of choice.