Effects of dietary electrolyte balance on reproductive performance and blood profiles in sows

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary electrolyte balance (dEB) on reproductive performance and blood constituent profiles in sows. A total of 80 sows (Landrace × Large white, mean body weight 268.5 ± 4.68 kg, mean parity 2.6 ± 0.75) were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments with forty replicates per treatment and one sow per replicate according to body weight (BW) and parity. The dietary treatments included diets with dEB values of 165 and 300 mEq/kg from d 0 of gestation to farrowing, transitioning to the same lactation diet with 200 mEq/kg dEB throughout the subsequent 28 d of lactation. Dietary electrolyte balance values were obtained by manipulating dietary sodium and chloride concentrations. The total numbers of piglets born, born alive, total weaned, litter weight at birth and weaning in sows fed the 165 mEq/kg diet of gestation were increased (P < 0.05) compared with those fed the 300 mEq/kg diet. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in survival rate at birth and weaning, average birth weight, average weaning weight, lactation average daily feed intake, average daily gain of piglets (d 0–28 of lactation), sow BW loss or backfat thickness changes between both treatments. Sows fed the 165 mEq/kg diet of gestation had lower (P < 0.05) serum non esterified fatty acid and cortisol on d of farrowing and cortisol on d of weaning compared with those fed the 300 mEq/kg diet. Taken together, increasing dEB (165 to 300 mEq/kg) from d 0 of gestation to d of farrrowing decreased litter size at birth and weaning as well as litter weight at birth and weaning.