Analysis of lactation feed intakes for sows with extended lactation lengths (original) (raw)
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Porcine Health Management
Background Knowing the feed intake pattern during lactation of modern genetic sows is crucial because it allows to anticipate possible problems and maximize their performance. On the other side, electronic feeders permit real-time data to be available for a more accurate evaluation of sow eating behavior. This work aimed to characterize the feed intake patterns of lactating highly prolific sows and determine their effect on reproductive performance. A database of 1,058 registers of feed intake collected from a commercial farm was used to identify five consistent sets of clusters (feeding curves) using machine learning. In the second step, the five feeding curves were characterized into five patterns by high, medium and low feed intake during 0–6 d and 7–28 d of lactation: 1-HH, 2-MH, 3-HM, 4-MM and 5-LL. Results The mean daily feed intake of all the sows was 6.2 kg (0.06 SEM) across the 5 patterns. As the pattern numbers increased from 1-HH, 2-MH, 3-HM and 4-MM to 5-LL, their mean d...
Dynamic modeling of nutrient use and individual requirements of lactating sows1
Journal of Animal Science
Nutrient requirements of sows during lactation are related mainly to their milk yield and feed intake, and vary greatly among individuals. In practice, nutrient requirements are generally determined at the population level based on average performance. The objective of the present modeling approach was to explore the variability in nutrient requirements among sows by combining current knowledge about nutrient use with on-farm data available on sows at farrowing [parity, BW, backfat thickness (BT)] and their individual performance (litter size, litter average daily gain, daily sow feed intake) to estimate nutrient requirements. The approach was tested on a database of 1,450 lactations from 2 farms. The effects of farm (A, B), week of lactation (W1: week 1, W2: week 2, W3+: week 3 and beyond), and parity (P1: 1, P2: 2, P3+: 3 and beyond) on sow performance and their nutrient requirements were evaluated. The mean daily ME requirement was strongly correlated with litter growth (R2 = 0.9...
Variation in sow health affects the information provided by lactation feed intake data
2009
Using data from two maternal lines of pigs (N~2200), medication events were used as proxy indicators of sow health, to examine changes in associations between lactation feed intake and other traits that occur with changes to sow health status. Estimates of heritability for total born, average piglet birth weight, litter gain until day 10 (LG10), average sow feed intake during lactation (LFI), total sow feed intake during the first three days of lactation, lactation length and the underlying liability for a shortened lactation (SL) or surviving to farrow in parity 2 (FP2) were 0.14±0.01, 0.33±0.03, 0.09±0.04, 0.18±0.04, 0.06±0.04, 0.06±0.03, 0.15±0.09 and 0.06±0.07. Genetic (r a ) and phenotypic (r p ) correlations indicate that high lactation feed intake was favourably associated with SL and FP2 (r a : -0.78±0.19 and 0.42±0.41; r p : -0.49±0.01 and 0.31±0.01). Compared to estimates obtained using only subsets of data from sows that met lactation length targets or unmedicated sows, heritabilities for LFI were higher in the medicated data set and phenotypic correlations with LG10, SL or FP2 were of increasingly larger magnitude across these data subsets. Sow health status affects the information content of lactation feed intake data, but larger studies will be required to confirm if significant changes also occur in genetic parameters because of health status. Knowledge of health status could be important for other studies which examine associations between feed intake, recorded in any physiological state, and other production traits.
The aim of this study was to compare the effect of ad libitum feeding versus a step-up feeding strategy during late lactation on sows' feed consumption, body composition and production performance. This on-farm study was conducted on 155 loose housed Norwegian Landrace  Swedish Yorkshire sows and their litters, originating from three batches of farrowing. The lactation feed contained 9.86 MJ NE/kg feed and 8.26 g lysine/ kg feed and daily feed allowance was recorded. Measurements of sow body weight, body condition score, litter size and litter weight were taken within 24 h after birth and at weaning. Body weight, litter size and litter weight were also recorded on day 21 for sows farrowing in batches 2 and 3. Sows in batches 1 and 2 were backfat measured prefarrowing and at weaning. The study design was a randomized block design with 1st parity, 2nd parity and Z3rd parity as blocks. Within block sows were randomly allotted to feeding strategy. ''Feed refusal'' was defined as a drop in feed intake of 43 kg for Z3 days. Feeding strategy did not affect daily or total feed consumption, weight loss, backfat loss or litter gain. The ad libitum group had a lower feed consumption in week four of lactation (po0.05) and more feed refusals (po0.01). The relative backfat loss (%) tended to be higher in the ad libitum group (po0.1), and backfat loss in the loin was higher in older sows (Z3rd parity) in this group (po0.05). Parity affected daily, weekly and total feed consumption, with 1st and 2nd parity sows consuming less than older sows (po0.0001). First parity sows had more feed refusals (po0.01), higher weight loss (po0.05) and lower litter gain (po0.001) than older sows. The relative weight loss (%) was higher in 1st and 2nd parity sows compared to older sows (po0.05). Positive correlations were found between total feed consumption and litter gain (r¼ 0.45, po0.0001), body condition and weight loss (r¼ 0.46, po0.0001), backfat before parturition and total backfat loss (r¼ 0.67, po0.0001) and body condition and backfat (r¼ 0.55, po0.0001). A negative correlation was found between total feed consumption and weight loss during the three first weeks of lactation. (r¼ À0.66, po0.0001). Parity affects feed consumption, body composition and production, and caution should be taken not to overexert young sows during lactation. A higher risk of feed refusal and more individual variation in the ad libitum group favours the step-up strategy.
Lactation efficiency as a result of body composition dynamics and feed intake in sows
Livestock Science, 2009
Through genetic selection and improvement of environment, litter size of sows increases. Increased energy requirement during lactation, increases the risk of excessive mobilization from body stores, with detrimental effects on reproductive performance. Feed intake capacity tends to decrease due to selection towards leaner pigs with a lower feed conversion ratio. However, to facilitate sows to wean large litters extra feed intake, or even better, a higher feed efficiency during lactation would be favourable. The objective of the present study was to describe the dynamics of body composition of sows and piglets during lactation, and to relate these traits to a newly introduced trait called "lactation efficiency". Energy metabolism of lactating sows was described, based on on-farm observations of weight and backfat of sows before parturition and at weaning, weight of piglets at birth and at weaning and feed intake of sows during lactation. "Lactation efficiency" was defined as energy efficiency of sows, and calculated for individual sows at two different farms. The average lactation efficiency was 68% and 65% for both farms; meaning that 68 and 65% of the metabolisable energy through feed intake or mobilization from body stores, above maintenance of the sow (input), was used for piglet growth and piglet maintenance (output). The association between lactation efficiency and other reproductive traits was studied by estimating the correlations within farms. Sows with a higher lactation efficiency showed lower feed intake (r = − 0.27 and r = − 0.35 for both farms respectively) and smaller fat losses (r = −0.34 and r = − 0.29, respectively). The energy output of efficient sows was slightly higher (r = 0.23 and r = 0.30). The more efficient sows were the better mothers, as mortality of their piglets was lower (r = − 0.12 and r = − 0.16), piglet growth rate was higher (r = 0.16 and r = 0.23), and at weaning their litters were less variable (r = − 0.08; only available at one farm). Results were remarkably similar for the two farms, despite different feeding strategies. Extra input, by means of feed intake or mobilization from body stores generated extra output by means of litter weight at weaning. This experiment demonstrated that an accurate recording of energy metabolism and relevant reproduction traits with little intervention is possible on commercial farms.
Journal of Animal Science
A total of 146 primiparous sows was used in four replications of an experiment to investigate the effect of energy intake during a 28-d lactation on sow and litter performance. Dietary treatments consisted of three energy intakes; 10, 12 or 14 Meal of metabolizable energy (ME) 9 sow-1. d -t. All sows were fed equal amounts of crude protein, vitamins and minerals daily, which met or exceeded standard recommendations. The experiment was initiated at parturition. Sow weight and backfat loss during lactation decreased linearly (P<.O01) as energy intake increased. There were no differences in litter size at either 14 d of lactation or weaning. Pig weights on d 14 increased linearly (P<.05) and litter weights tended to increase linearly (P=.13) as energy intake increased. At weaning, pig weights and litter weights increased (P<.05) as sow energy intake increased. There were no significant differences in the percentages of sows in estrus by 7, 14, 21 and 70 d postweaning, but sows fed 10 Meal ME/d had a slightly longer interval from weaning to first estrus than sows fed higher energy intakes. Serum urea concentrations of sows were inversely related to energy intake during lactation. Serum creatinine concentrations were not affected by energy intake. An intake of 10 Meal ME/d by primiparous sows during a 28-d lactation resulted in reduced sow and litter performance; there was little difference between sows fed 12 and 14 Meal ME/d. (
Neglect of lactation stage leads to naive assessment of residual feed intake in dairy cattle
Journal of Dairy Science, 2017
Residual feed intake (RFI) is a candidate trait for feed efficiency in dairy cattle. We investigated the influence of lactation stage on the effect of energy sinks in defining RFI and the genetic parameters for RFI across lactation stages for primiparous dairy cattle. Our analysis included 747 primiparous Holstein cows, each with recordings on dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, milk composition, and body weight (BW) over 44 lactation weeks. For each individual cow, energy-corrected milk (ECM), metabolic BW (MBW), and change in BW (∆BW) were calculated in each week of lactation and were taken as energy sinks when defining RFI. Two RFI models were considered in the analyses; RFI model [1] was a 1-step RFI model with constant partial regression coefficients of DMI on energy sinks (ECM, MBW, and ∆BW) over lactation. In RFI model [2], data from 44 lactation weeks were divided into 11 consecutive lactation periods of 4 wk in length. The RFI model [2] was identical to model [1] except that period-specific partial regressions of DMI on ECM, MBW, and ∆BW in each lactation period were allowed across lactation. We estimated genetic parameters for RFI across lactation by both models using a random regression method. Using RFI model [2], we estimated the period-specific effects of ECM, MBW, and ∆BW on DMI in all lactation periods. Based on results from RFI model [2], the partial regression coefficients of DMI on ECM, MBW, and ∆BW differed across lactation in RFI. Constant partial regression coefficients of DMI on energy sinks over lactation was not always sufficient to account for the effects across lactation and tended to give roughly average information from all period-specific effects. Heritability for RFI over 44 lactation weeks ranged from 0.10 to 0.29 in model [1] and from 0.10 to 0.23 in model [2]. Genetic variance and heritability estimates for RFI from model [2] tended to be slightly lower and more stable across lactation than those from model [1]. In both models, RFI was genetically different over lactation, especially between early and later lactation stages. Genetic correlation estimates for RFI between early and later lactation tended to be higher when using model [2] compared with model [1]. In conclusion, partial regression coefficients of DMI on energy sinks differed across lactation when modeling RFI. Neglect of lactation stage when defining RFI could affect the assessment of RFI and the estimation of genetic parameters for RFI across lactation.
Validation of Individual Computerized Sow Feeding Systems in Lactation
Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports, 2017
Two experiments evaluated the accuracy of individual computerized feed delivery systems for lactating sows (GESTAL Solo, JYGA Technologies Inc., St-Lambert-de-Lauzon, Quebec, Canada). The feeders volumetrically dispense feed based on rotations of a screw auger. In Experiment 1, 29 prototype feeders were used across 3 farrowing groups. On d 0, 1 feeder was selected to calibrate the computer system to the bulk density of the lactation diet. Feeders were programmed for 5 feeding periods per day with feeding period allowing up to 4 feed drops triggered by the sow. Sows activate a trigger within the feed bowl to receive a targeted amount of feed (1.5 lb) and the computerized feeder records the delivery amount based on calibration values. In addition, total lactation feed intake was recorded by weighing the quantity of feed provided to the feeding system for each sow throughout lactation. Feed delivered by a single trigger activation on d 0, d 10, and d of weaning was collected and weighed with a scale and compared to the computer record. Additionally, total feed delivered over the lactation period was compared between the recorded computer measurement and scale weight. Average percentage difference between the two measurements ranged from 0.01 to 36.6% for a single trigger event. Computer-recorded total lactation feed intake was marginally less (P < 0.089) than the actual weight of feed delivered (230.3 vs. 239.9 lb; SEM 5.43). Individual feeders had recorded total feed delivery ranging from 77 to 122% of actual weight delivered. Based on these results, a new feeder design, identical to the commercially marketed GESTAL Solo (plastic hopper manufactured with injection mold instead of rotational mold), was tested in Experiment 2. In Experiment 2, 29 feeders were used in a single farrowing group to evaluate the new sow feeders. Feeders were calibrated and data were collected using the same procedures as Experiment 1, except individual feed drops were collected 8 times per feeder throughout lactation. Average percentage difference across all feeders ranged from 3.8 to 13.4%. There was no evidence (P < 0.542) of difference between the computer-recorded total lactation feed and actual weight of feed delivered (279.6 vs. 272.8 lb; SEM 4.03). Individual feeders had recorded total feed delivery ranging from 90.4 to 106.4% of actual weight delivered. Overall, this study shows the new feeder model was less variable in feed drops and total feed delivery than the old prototype.