Peng Xie;Guangdong Bai;Liang Hu;Yingyan Huang;Zhengfeng Fang;Yan Lin;Shengyu Xu;Bin Feng;Jian Li;Yong Zhuo;De Wu;Lianqiang Ch

Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China;Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Chin

Blood index;Colostrum;Live yeast;Reproduction;So

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary live yeast (LY) supplementation during late gestation and lactation on reproductive performance, colostrum and milk composition, blood biochemical and immunological parameters of sows. A total of 40 multiparous sows were randomly fed either the control (CON) diet or the CON diet supplemented with LY at 1 g/kg from d 90 of gestation to weaning. Results showed that the number of stillborn piglets and low BW piglets were significantly decreased in the LY-supplemented sows compared with sows in the CON group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of protein, lactose and solids-not-fat were increased in the colostrum of LY-supplemented sows (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the plasma activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GGT) at d 1 of lactation and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at weaning day were decreased by feeding LY diet (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, sows fed LY diet had higher plasma concentration of immunoglobulin G compared with sows fed CON diet at d 1 of lactation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, LY supplementation in maternal diets decreased the number of stillborn piglets and low BW piglets, improved colostrum quality and health status of sows.