Improving sow reproductive performance with dietary fatty acids

Seasonal infertility continues to negatively affect the productivity and efficiency of pigs both in Australia and globally. Altering dietary intake of linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid has the potential to affect reproductive processes.

This study was designed to determine whether feeding sows with diets containing different levels of linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid would affect subsequent reproductive performance during summer and winter and also affect the percentage of female progeny produced in the subsequent litter.

Value for producers:

• Feeding lactation diets containing medium levels of dietary fatty acids, linoleic and a-linolenic acid improves reproductive efficiencies.

Recommendations:

• Feeding a lactation diet containing medium levels of linoleic acid (approximately 0.27 per cent a-linolenic acid and 1.8 to 2.0 per cent linoleic acid) reduced stillbirth rates and incidences of post-implantation foetal death.
• The greatest positive impact on reproductive performance came from feeding sows diets with higher levels of linoleic acid (0.13 per cent a-linolenic and 2.55 to 2.70 per cent linoleic acid) during lactation. This reduced foetal death resulting in more piglets being born per 100 sows weaned. It also increased the proportion of sows returning to oestrus within seven days of weaning during winter.
• The proportion of females born in the subsequent litter was unaffected by the diet.