L-Arginine and L-Carnitine in gestating sow diets to optimise output and piglet growth.

Transcription

1 L-Arginine and L- in gestating sow diets to optimise output and piglet growth. K. O Driscoll 1, K. Reid 1,3, E. Magowan 2, J.V. O Doherty 3, P.G. Lawlor 1 1 Teagasc, Pig Development Department, AGRIC, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork; 2 Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, N. Ireland; 3 University College Dublin, School Of Agriculture & Food Science, Belfield, Dublin 4;

2 Born alive Background No piglets born alive relatively low in Ireland High numbers born alive = lower birthweight piglets (Quiniou et al., 2002) Low birthweight decreased pre-natal and pre- weaning survival OPTIPIG Born Alive / Litter (Fix et al., 2010) Aims to 6 improve output per sow, so that increasing numbers born alive does 4 not increase piglet mortality 2 Investigation of gestational nutritional management strategies 0 Denmark Netherlands Germany France Ireland Interpig, 2015

3 Effects of large litters Uterine crowding in early gestation Competition for space, nutrients Late implanting embryos affected Longer farrowing duration (Herpin et al., 1996) Consequences Low birth weights (SGA and IUGR) Birth weight variation Hypoxia and reduced vitality (Herpin et al., 1996) Pre weaning mortality Poor lifetime performance (Berard etal., 2010; Quiniou et al., 2002)

4 Arginine Precursor for NO and polyamines Placental angiogenesis Embryognesis Blood flow between placenta and uterus Placental and foetal growth (Wu et al., 2006) oxygen and nutrient flow to the foetus Effects in lowly-prolific sows Wu et al. (2012), total born: + birth weight (d90 farrow) Che et al. (2013), total born: + born alive (d30 d114) Gao et. al (2012), total born: + birth weight, born alive, - weight variation (d22 d114)

5 Composed of lysine and methionine Hypothesised to IGF1 and IGF2 in the mother(birkenfield et al., 2006; Musser et al., 1999, Doberenz et al., 2006) Could enhance muscle fibre development (Musser et al., 1999, 2001) Increased insulin + IGF1 at time of secondary muscle fibre development Regulate transport of fatty acids across mitochondrial membrane (Birkenfield et al., 2006) Effects in lowly-prolific sows Musser et al. (1999): total born: + birth weight, litter weight, sow back-fat (d5 112) Eder et al. (2001): total born: + birth weight, - non-viable piglets (mating farrow, gilts + sows) Birkenfield et al (2006): total born: + birth weight (b4 insemination farrow, gilts)

6 Hypothesis Supplementation of highly prolific gestating sows with arginine and carnitine would Increase numbers of piglets born alive Increase piglet birth weight Increase weaning weight and the effects would be additive

7 Experimental design 1,000 sow commercial integrated unit 2 2 factorial design 429 sows Blocking: breed, parity, backfat, born alive (0.125g/day) Arginine (25g /day) Yes No Yes No

8 Experimental design 1,000 sow commercial integrated unit 2 2 factorial design 429 sows Blocking: breed, parity, backfat, born alive Arginine (25g /day) (0.125g/day) Yes No Yes No

9 Experimental design 1,000 sow commercial integrated unit 2 2 factorial design 429 sows Blocking: breed, parity, backfat, born alive Arginine (25g /day) (0.125g/day) Yes No Yes No

10 Timeline Start: 9 Feb 2015 Reps created every 2 weeks 16 Reps: 28 sows/rep (429 sows) Service: Backfat and blocking Treatments applied: d28 farrowing Last weaning Feb 16

11 Measurements Sows Backfat (service, farrowing, weaning) Total born, born alive, and dead Piglets Tagged and weighed at birth (n = 216 litters) Weighed at weaning Birth and weaning sow recorded

12 Statistics Experimental unit: Sow Random effect: block Numbers born Fixed effects: Arginine, rep Birth weight Fixed effects: Arginine prolific, sex, alive, rep Fishers exact test Weaning weight Fixed effects: Arginine birthweight rank, sex, rep

13 Results and Discussion

14 Number of piglets born P < 0.05 Arginine No arginine P < 0.05 P < piglets piglets piglets Total born Born alive + still births Born Alive

15 Number of piglets born No 0 Total born Born alive + still births Born Alive

16 Birthweight (Kg) Birthweight (Kg) 1.4 Birthweight: All 1.4 P < Arginine No Arginine 1.0 No

17 Litter weight (Kg) Litter weight (Kg) P < 0.01 Litter weight: All P = Arginine No Arginine 1.0 No

18 Birthweight (Kg) Birthweight (Kg) 1.5 Birthweight: Live born 1.5 P < Arginine No Arginine 1.0 No

19 Litter weight (Kg) Litter weight (Kg) Litter weight: Live born P < Arginine No Arginine 1.0 No

20 Number of piglets Birthweight: By rank Effect of carnitine on proportion of piglets in each rank: P < No carnitine % 45.5% 51.4% 53.4% 56.2% Weight range (Kg)

21 Number of piglets Birthweight: By rank 400 No carnitine P < Weight range (Kg)

22 Number of piglets Birthweight: By rank 400 No carnitine P < Weight range (Kg)

23 Number of piglets Birthweight: By rank 400 No carnitine P < Weight range (Kg)

24 Birthweight (Kg) Birthweight (Kg) 1.5 Birthweight: 14 total born 1.5 NS Arginine No Arginine 1.0 No

25 Birthweight (Kg) Birthweight (Kg) 1.3 Birthweight: > 14 total born 1.3 P = Arginine No Arginine 1.0 No

26 % pigs from original ranks Weaning weights 1836 piglets in dataset (v s 3295 total birthweights) 30% 25% 20% 20% 21% 23% 24% 15% 10% 12% 5% 0% Weight range at birth (Kg)

27 Number of piglets Weaning weight: By rank 300 No carnitine % 47.1% 52.6% 56.1% 56.0% Weight range (Kg)

28 ADG to weaning (Kg) ADG to weaning (Kg) ADG to Weaning Arginine No Arginine No

29 ADG (Kg) ADG to Weaning No 0.30 P = Weight range at birth (Kg)

30 Weaning weight(kg) Weaning Weight (Kg) 8.30 Weaning weight Arginine No Arginine 7.90 No

31 Weaning weight (Kg) Weaning weight 12 P = 0.1 No carnitine Weight range at birth (Kg)

32 Implications at birth Arginine Did not appear to have any effect Overall birthweight by approx 57g carnitine piglets in higher ranks Tended to be significant for larger litters supplementation could be beneficial for highly prolific sows

33 Implications at weaning Arginine Did not appear to have any effect No effect on weaning weight or ADG % of carnitine piglets at weaning than at birth, including lowest rank Interaction between carnitine and rank implies smaller piglets at birth benefit more than larger

34 Take home message Supplementation of highly prolific sows with carnitine during gestation increases piglet birth weight, and may improve survival and growth of small piglets to weaning

35 Questions? Scharragh farm Technicians: Emer McCrum and Oliver Clear Research Assistants: Phoebe, Flavie, Julie and Katie