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Sows with large litters often experience challenges, such as prolonged farrowing, higher neonatal mortality, and compromised maternal behavior, which have recently been linked to excessive oxidative stress.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effects of ferulic acid and probiotic mixture on oxidative stress reduction during the prepartum and lactation periods in hyperprolific sows and the jute sack provision on maternal instinct enhancement to assess their impact on the farrowing process, maternal behavior, immune status, and piglet performance.
Method: A total of 42 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire, n = 30, parity = 2.6 ± 1.3; Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc, n = 12, parity = 2.3 ± 1.3) housed in open crates were assigned to the following 4 treatment groups: control (CON; n = 11, basal diet), ferulic acid (n = 11, basal diet + 0.5 g/kg ferulic acid), probiotic mixture (n = 9, basal diet + 2 g/kg probiotic mixture), and jute sack (n = 11, basal diet, 70 × 100 cm jute sack). Saliva and colostrum samples were collected, and farrowing duration and piglet birth weight were measured.
Results: Sows receiving ferulic acid exhibited higher salivary Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity 7 d after farrowing than those of the CON. Both jute sack and probiotic mixture groups demonstrated reduced tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations at 4 d prepartum and 7 and 28 d postpartum compared to the CON group. Nest-building was markedly increased in the jute sack group in both frequency and duration, with ferulic acid and probiotic mixture groups also showing elevated nest-building frequency compared to CON. Farrowing duration and birth interval were shorter in the probiotic mixture group than in CON (188 vs. 346 min; 12.8 vs. 22.7 min, respectively). Furthermore, the jute sack group exhibited elevated colostral immunoglobulin G levels, while the probiotic mixture group showed improved piglet colostrum intake and weight gain.
Conclusion: Antioxidant supplementation (ferulic acid and probiotic mixture) and behavioral enrichment (jute sack) have the potential to mitigate oxidative stress and improve farrowing outcomes, maternal care, and piglet performance in loose-housed hyperprolific sows.
Biswas S, Kim J, Shin H, Lee J, Lee G, Oh S, Yun J. Alleviating peripartum oxidative stress and enhancing maternal behavior in loose-housed hyperprolific sows improves the farrowing process and piglet performance: effects of ferulic acid, probiotic mixture, or jute sacks. Journal of Animal Science. 2025; 103: skaf265. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf265