Changes in feeding level during early pregnancy affect fertility in gilts

Modified feeding combining the benefits of restricted feeding after ovulation and abundant feeding during implantation in autumn was tested. Three groups of eight gilts were housed with individual feeding stalls and fed 40 MJ per day of a commercial ration. Following insemination gilts were fed 27 MJ per day (LLL) or 54 MJ per day (HHH) for 34 days or 27 MJ per day for 10 days, 54 MJ per day for 7 days followed by 27 MJ per day until day 34 (LHL). Blood for progesterone analysis was collected daily during the week of ovulation and then twice a week until the end of the study. For LH assay, blood was collected from five gilts from each group at 15 min interval for 10 h on the day 15 of pregnancy. Gilts were weighed three times at intervals of 4 weeks. The effect of dietary treatment was significant (P<0.05) on body weight gain from days 0 to 30 of pregnancy, 1201, 287 and 438 g per day for groups HHH, LLL and LHL respectively. The pregnancy rate at day 34 was significantly higher (P<0.005) in HHH-group (100%) compared with LLL (25%) and LHL (38%) although HHH group had significantly lower (P<0.05) progesterone concentration on days 9 and 12. The basal LH level was significantly higher (P<0.01) in HHH group compared to LHL group (mean +/- S.D.) (0.98 +/- 0.22 and 0.60 +/- 0.08, respectively). Gilts in HHH group had a significantly higher mean LH concentration (1.18 +/- 0.24) than those in group LHL (0.7 +/- 0.07) (P<0.05), but not in group LLL (0.93 +/- 0.15) (P=0.09). There was a tendency (P=0.058) for amplitude to be higher for gilts in HHH group. The LHL feeding strategy did not provide the benefits anticipated. Instead, it was the HHH feeding strategy that provided a distinct advantage in pregnancy rate. The mechanism mediating supportive effect of high feeding level on the maintenance of early pregnancy is yet to be determined.