PSII-14 The Effect of Increasing Soluble Dietary Fiber and the Addition of a Stimbiotic in Gestation on Sow Productivity in a Prrs and Non-Prrs Challenge

Abstract This sow study evaluated the effect that sugar beet pulp (SBP), a soluble fiber source, and a stimbiotic (Signis; AB Vista) can have on sow productivity and health when fed in gestation. A stimbiotic is an additive that stimulates fiber-degrading microbiome, resulting in an increase in fiber fermentability even though the additive itself contributes limited small chain fatty acid production. A commercial gestation barn with two feeding lines was utilized to feed sows (n = 2173) two dietary treatments from d 30 to d 90; a corn, soy, soy hulls with (HSDF) or without (LSDF) SBP (50 kg/t) plus stimbiotic (100 g/t) and from d 90 to entering the farrowing pen the LSDF diet with or without a stimbiotic (100 g/day). Sows were fed 2.0 kg per day providing the following fiber intake levels/day, HDSF: TDF; 266g, SDF 55g, IDF, 211g and LDSF: TDF; 240g, SDF 40g, IDF, 200g. The following variables were measured; total born, live born, still born, mummies, pre-weaning mortality, pigs weaned per sow, prolapse rate and sow mortality/culls. A proportion of sows (n = 81) were moved to a GESTAL system for lactation and intake recorded per gestation treatment. During the study the farm became PRRS positive and any sows that farrowed while the farm was PRRS positive were identified as PRRS positive sows and included as a factor. Data were analyzed with ANOVA evaluating the effects of fiber, parity, and PRRS using the fit model platform in JMP16. Significant treatment means were separated using Student’s t-tests, with significance accepted at P ≤ 0.05. Results showed that for born alive there was an interaction between treatment and parity (P =0.02) and treatment and PRRS (P < 0.05) with the HDSF diet increasing born alive in parity 1 (+1.30 pigs; P = 0.03) and parity 2 (+0.71 pigs; P = 0.08) with no effect in parity 3+. HDSF improved born alive in non PRRS pigs (+1.01 pigs; P < 0.01) and had no effect in PRRS pigs. There was a tendency for HDSF program to reduce stillborn (8.8% v 7.4%; P = 0.09) but had no effect on mummies. There was a tendency to increase in pigs weaned with the HSDF treatment (9.15 v 8.86; P = 0.07) with no effect on sow mortality/culls. There was no effect of treatment on prolapses. On the sub-sample of sows recorded in lactation those sows (Parity 2+) that had been on the HSDF in gestation showed an increased ADFI (5.36 kg v 6.02 kg; P = 0.01) compared with the LSDF. It can be concluded that sow productivity can be improved by increasing the fermentative capacity of the gestation feed through the combination of adding a soluble fiber such as SBP along with a stimbiotic.