Extra feed or lipid supplies 10 days prior to parturition and their consequences on farrowing and lactation performances

Eight batches of 24 sows each, were used to investigate the effects of extra feed supply or extra lipid supply over the last 10 days of gestation on farrowing and litters’ characteristics. Sows were allocated to one of the four treatments. From the 104th day of gestation (G104) to farrowing, sows were fed 2.8 kg/d of the standard gestation diet in Témoin treatment. In addition to this feed allowance, 1 kg/d of the same diet was offered to sows in KILO treatment, whereas in H150 and H300 treatments they received 150 or 300 g of rapeseed oil/d, respectively. Despite a higher energy allowance over 114 days, the maternal body weight variation was not significantly different among treatments. However, increase of backfat thickness was higher in H300 treatment (+3.1 mm) than in Témoin and H150 treatments (+2.2 mm). An intermediate variation was observed in KILO treatment (+2.7 mm). No constipation occurrence was observed after farrowing in KILO treatment, but the highest proportion of “normal” faecal consistency was observed in H150 and H300. Farrowing duration was not influenced significantly by treatments (4.6 hours on average) even if birth intervals were shorter in the KILO and H150 treatments. At a given rank of birth, sows from H300 treatment farrowed more slowly than others that may be partly explained by a heavier birth weight in this treatment (+0.1 kg/piglet when compared to H150). It also contributed to a lower rate loss before weaning even if the difference with other treatments was not significant (24 vs. 26, 25 et 28% in Témoin, KILO et H150 treatments, respectively).