Impact of supplementing lactating sows’ diets with an Aspergillus oryzae-derived prebiotic

High prolific sows' productivity is limited by the sufficient nutrient intake required to meet lactation requirements, partly compromising their maternal ability and piglet survivability. Dietary-supplementation with an Aspergillus oryzae-derived prebiotic (AO) could stabilize the gut microbiota, improve feed digestibility, and nutrient absorption, enhancing production and swine health. This study intended to assess the influence of supplementing lactation diets with AO on sow and litter performance and piglet survivability. Eighty-four Large White sows (mean 2.3parities) equally-divided into a control-group (CON) or a treated-group (AOF), balanced by farrowing order and backfat depth (42 sows × group) were used in a commercial farm. The Control group was fed a commercial diet meeting lactation requirements (NRC, 2012), whereas the AOF group was fed the same diet top-dressed with 4g of AO-derived prebiotic/head/day. Groups received their respective diets from allocation into the farrowing house until weaning (24 days), trice daily as part of a broth mix with water in a ratio of 3.5 : 1 (water : feed) increasing from 2.5 up to 6.5 kg dry-diet/sow/day after 15 days. Sow bodyweight, backfat depth, Body-condition-score at farrowing, and weaning and feed intake were recorded. Recorded piglet variables included bodyweight at birth, after cross-fostering (conducted within treatment within 48 h from birth), and at weaning, number of piglets born, born alive, stillborn, mummified, mortality during lactation, and weaned. Productive data were analysed with one-way ANOVA. Mortality was analysed using a Chi-Square test. Sows and piglets’ production traits measured, were not significantly affected (P>0,05). However, feeding AO to sows reduced piglet mortality by 29% (P<0.05) during lactation compared to CON group (11.4% vs. 16.1%, respectively). This might be explained by the transmission of balanced intestinal microflora from sows to piglets and the feed intake increment observed in sows from the AOF-group. Results suggest that AO-supplementation in lactating sows can increase piglet survivability.