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Sows fed with the adjusted feeding treatments A and B were fed twice daily a 4.1:1 mixture of feed (dry matter) to water by a computerised liquid feeding system. The lactation diet contained 14.2 MJ DE / kg and 9.1g lysine / kg fresh-weight. Mean lactation energy intake was 71.2, 103.7 and 87.8 (s.e. 3.54 MJ DE/day; P<0.001) for Treatments A, B and C, respectively. Sow back-fat loss during lactation was 3.8, 3.4 and 2.3 (s.e. 0.46 mm; P<0.05) for Treatments A, B and C, respectively. The number of pre-weaning deaths per litter was 0.55, 0.92, 1.66 (s.e. 0.21; P<0.07). Treatment had no effect on piglet weaning weight (P>0.05), piglet daily gain (P>0.05), within litter CV for weaning weight (P>0.05) and within litter CV for piglet daily gain (P>0.05).
Therefore it may be concluded that with the use of liquid feeding, sow feed intake may be increased but without affecting piglet performance.
TP Ryan, PB Lynch, and PG Lawlor. 2009. Book of Abstracts EAAP, Barcelona, 451.
