Effects Of Dietary Supplement Of Folic Acids On The Performance Of Lactating Sows

This experiment was designed to research the influence of different levels of dietarysupplements of folic acids on the performance of lactating sows. 20 Landrace×Yorkshiresows received the same basal corn-soybean diets(folic acid: 1.3mg/Kg) from the 107 d ofgestation to parturition. After parturition, litter size was set to 10 at first, and then sowswere allotted to 4 treatments (the control group + 3 test groups) with 5 sows each,according to mated boar, parities, litter birth weight. The four treatments received fourdifferent diets with the same basal diets and different folic acids addition levels: 0, 12.5, 50,100mg/Kg. This experiment lasted 21 days. The results showed:1. Supplementing folic acids in lactating sows' diets increased milk production anddecreased the ratio of feed/milk production. The milk production in 0, 12.5, 50, 100mg/Kgtreatments were 160.92, 174.75, 184.55 and 75.93Kg, respectively. The relationshipbetween the ratio of feed/milk production and the addition levels of folic acids wasquadratic (R~2=0.9999, P=0.0099). When the milk production obtained the biggest value,the supplements folic acids level was 60 mg/Kg.2. Supplementing folic acids in lactating sows' diets increased the content of butterfat,milk protein, total substance, nonlipoids substance in milk. The butterfat content has beenincreased 1.31%～28.86%. When the folic acid's addition level was 50 mg/Kg, theprotein content was increased from 5.47% to 6.07% at 14d, from 5.60% to 6.68% at 21d.3. Supplementing folic acids in lactating sows' diets enhanced litter weaning weight,average piglet weaning weight and average piglet daily gain. In 4 treatments, Litterweaning weights 53.02, 57.59, 58.02 and 55.84Kg, respectively. Average piglet weaningweights of every piglets were 5.58, 5.89, 6.06 and 6.33Kg, respectively. Average pigletdaily gain were 197.28, 214.67, 226.78 and 234.68g/d, respectively, the relationship between average piglet daily gain and the addition levels of folic acids was linear (R~2=0.8375, P=0.0848).4. Supplementing folic acids in lactating sows' diets decreased the content of bloodammonia and serum urea nitrogen, when the supplementation levels was 12.5mg/Kg, theblood ammonia decreased significantly. The content of serum total protein has beenincreased 1.22%～26.19%.5. Supplementing folic acids in lactating sows' diets increased the serum insulin content(P＜0.05). The insulin content in 4 different treatments were 8.75%, 13.66%, 12.41% and10.28%, respectively.In conclusion, Supplementing folic acids in lactating sows' diets increased milkproduction, decreased the ration of feed/milk production, improved milk quality and theperformance of piglets. In supplements of folic acids treatments, sows' performance wasimproved by increasing its utilization of protein. When the supplement level of folic acidswas 60 mg/Kg, the milk production obtained the biggest value.