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Modern high-performance genetics require precise nutrition from an early age to prepare sows for optimal performance and to maintain it throughout their productive lives so they can express their full potential.
Today's sows are more productive (Figure 1) and heavier, so they have higher nutritional requirements. Having been selected to be leaner, they have fewer body fat reserves than sows from non-improved genotypes. Modern breeding sows are less resistant to environmental, immunological, and nutritional challenges (Silva et al., 2009 and 2013).
Figure 1. Evolution of total born per litter in the BDporc database from 2008 to 2024. The average and different percentiles are shown.
Selection for prolificacy negatively affects the sow's catabolic state during lactation and, consequently, the performance of her litters (Foxcroft, 2008). This necessitates more precise nutritional management.
Vitamins: higher productivity = higher requirements
Vitamins are essential for the life and well-being of animals. They perform metabolic functions, facilitating both the synthesis and breakdown of nutrients.
Most vitamins cannot be synthesized by animals, so they must be obtained through the diet (vitamin premix). Suboptimal or deficient vitamin intake carries the risk of preventing optimal productivity from being achieved and vitamin deficiency can even lead to clinical symptoms and disorders.
Given the rapid evolution of the main genetic lines, the minimum established as the reference requirements by NRC have become outdated, making it necessary to update these requirements (Table 1). Various genetics companies have developed their own recommendations to ensure that their animals' nutritional needs are met in line with their increasing genetic potential. These higher requirements must be coupled with the existing legal limitations (vitamin A at 12,000 IU and vitamin D at 2,000 IU in the European Union).
Table 1. Minimum vitamin requirements for gestating sows (prepared by the author).
| NRC 2012 |
PIC | DanBred | Topigs | Average | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vit A (IU/kg) |
4 000 | 9 920 | +148% | 10 000 | +150% | 10 000 | +150% | +149% |
| Vit D (IU/kg) |
800 | 1 985 | +148% | 2 000 | +150% | 1 800 | +125% | +141% |
| Vit E (IU/kg) |
44 | 66 | +50% | 60-100 | +82% | 80 | +82% | +71% |
| Folic acid (mg/kg diet) |
1.3 | 1.3 | - | 2.5 | +92% | 4.0 | +207% | +99% |
| Vit B6 (mg/kg) | 1.0 | 3.3 | +230% | 3.2 | +220% | 3.5 | +250% | +233% |
Minerals
Minerals are necessary for optimal health and for the development of normal physiological functions (growth, maintenance, reproduction).
Figure 2. Components of sow productivity. Role of trace elements. (Close 1999). Note: USPs = uterine secretory proteins. See the article "The use of organic trace minerals in sow diets" on Pig333.
As with vitamins, minimum requirements for minerals have increased (Table 2), and deficiency can affect both the sow and her progeny.
Table 2. Minimum trace mineral requirements for gestating sows (prepared by the author).
| NRC 2012 |
PIC | DanBred | Topigs | Average | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fe (ppm) | 80 | 130 | +62.5% | 90 | +12.5% | 100 | +25% | +84% |
| Zn (ppm) | 100 | 120 | +20% | 100 | - | 110 | +10% | +10% |
| Cu (ppm) | 10 | 18 | +80% | 15 | +50% | 15 | +50% | +53% |
| Mn (ppm) | 25 | 50 | +100% | 40 | +60% | 50 | +100% | +99% |
| Se (ppm) | 0.15 | 0.3 | +100% | 0.3 | +100% | 0.3 | +100% | +100% |
However, when formulating, we must also consider existing legal limitations due to environmental aspects:
- Copper: 25 mg
- Zinc: 150 mg
- Selenium: 0.5 mg
Given animals' increased requirements and the limitations on inclusion levels, there is a growing need to incorporate ingredients with greater bioavailability, making the use of organic minerals an interesting option.
Current issues:
We observe that the main causes of culling/removal and slaughter of breeding sows are due to reproductive and locomotor problems (Table 3):
Table 3. Percentage of sows culled and reason for culling.
| Hadaš et al. | Engblom et al. | Balogh et al. | Wang et al. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive failure | 34.0 | 26.9 | 47.0 | 34.65 |
| Feet and leg problems | 27.0 | 8.6 | 25.0 | 10.53 |
| Poor performance | 18.0 | 9.5 | N/A | 5.0 |
| Udder problems | 8.0 | 18.1 | N/A | 6.71 |
| Old age | 1.0 | 18.7 | 7.0 | 1.56 |
| Other | 10.0 | N/A | 5.0 | 2.26 |
Belkova et al. 2022
We will take a closer look at how optimal vitamin and mineral nutrition can help reduce these problems.
Vitamin D improves the bioavailability and digestibility of calcium and phosphorus by participating in the metabolism of both minerals. It is synthesized through sunlight (not available for animals housed indoors), making it necessary to incorporate it through the diet (premix). The usual form of incorporation is vitamin D3, which, after ingestion and absorption, is hydrolyzed in the liver and enters the bloodstream in the form of the circulating metabolite 25(OH)D3 (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Metabolism and function of calcium homeostasis. Adapted from Zieminska et al. 2021.
When liver function is not optimal, the liver acts as a bottleneck and compromises the synthesis of 25(OH)D3, causing its plasma levels to be suboptimal.
25(OH)D3 can be supplied through the premix, bypassing this bottleneck and thus ensuring optimal plasma levels (Figure 3).
Figure 4. Plasma levels of 25-OH-D3 depending on dietary origin and stage of the reproductive cycle (36 sows monitored during 4 cycles; 9 sows per treatment; 5 blood samples per cycle). Weber, 2013.
How does the presence of vitamin D affects the animal?
Vitamin D, especially the 25(OH)D3 form, improves bioavailability, increasing the digestibility of Ca and P, and participates in the metabolism of both. Therefore, its presence affects the processes in which these minerals are involved, such as:
- Bone and joint health
- Reproductive processes involving calcium
Want to improve bone health? Review the interaction between calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D.
Higher circulating levels of 25(OH)D3 improve bone mineralization and strength.
Calcium: a much-needed antinutrient
To optimize bone health, it is necessary to have the correct calcium/phosphorus ratio. We must control carbonate intake, taking into account the calcium/phosphorus ratio, as indicated in many nutritional recommendations from different genetic companies (Table 4).
An excess of calcium in feed negatively impacts the digestibility of other nutrients, especially phosphorus.
Table 4. Nutritional recommendations for "Danbred genetics."
| Requirmentes for multiparous sows | Gestation | Lactation |
|---|---|---|
| NE (KCal/kg) | 2 200 | 2 400 - 2 450 |
| CP (%) | 12-14 | 15-17 |
| NDF (%) | 18-24 | 14-15 |
| Soluble fiber (%) | 5-6 | 4.5 |
| Ca / P | 1.3 - 1.5 | 1.3 - 1.5 |
| P standard digestibility (%) | 0.30 | 0.35 |
| Lysine SID (%) | 0.50 - 0.52 | 0.95 - 1.02 |
| Methionine + Cysteine (SID) / Lysine (SID) (%) | 0.68 | 0.60 |
| Threonine (SID) / Lysine (SID) (%) | 0.74 | 0.65 |
| Tryptophan (SID) / Lysine (SID) (%) | 0.19 | 0.20 |
| Isoleucine (SID) / Lysine (SID) (%) | 0.58 | 0.55 |
| Valine (SID) / Lysine (SID) (%) | 0.72 | 0.75 |
Reproductive problems: the need for available calcium
The lack of calcium available in the bloodstream (hypocalcemia) is one of the main problems sows face around farrowing. This problem affects:
- The onset of milk production
- Poor muscle contractions leading to slower and more difficult farrowings, increasing the number of stillborn piglets
- Litter viability and performance
Therefore, ensuring calcium availability through adequate plasma concentrations of 25(OH)D3 has a tremendous impact on reproductive performance.
- Improves farrowing dynamics by reducing the time between piglets (Figure 6)
- Better Ca availability at the start of lactation leads to faster milk production, which has a positive effect on litter performance and viability.
Figure 6. Effect of the method of Vit D administration and its dosage on farrowing dynamics.
Table 5. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on reproductive performance.
| Vitamin D3 | 25OH-D3 | P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of sows | 5 422 | 5 413 | - |
| Abortions | 168 | 112 | <0.01 |
| Piglets weaned | 10.94 | 11.26 | <0.01 |
| Weaning weight (kg) | 6.34 | 6.48 | <0.05 |
| Pre-weaning mortality | 9.28 | 6.81 | <0.05 |
Improving the bioavailability of minerals
Finally, ensuring the bioavailability of minerals (use of organic minerals “OM” rather than inorganic minerals “IM”) has positive effects on the incidence of the main locomotor and reproductive problems discussed (Figure 7):
Figure 7. The use of organic minerals, with greater bioavailability, has effects on certain parameters that determine reproductive performance.
A carefully balanced formulation, supported by technologies that improve nutrient availability, will enable us to meet the high production demands of today's animals, which have a lower physiological margin, while complying with the stringent regulations in force.