Effect of arginine supplementation during lactation on piglet survivability

Two hundred and thirty-two PIC (PIC 1050, Genus, Hendersonville, TN) sows were used to investigate the effects of arginine supplementation on lactating sow performance and piglet mortality. Sows were allotted by randomized complete block design to one of two dietary treatments formulated to different standard ileal digestible (SID) arginine levels upon entering the farrowing. The control (CON) diet contained 0.95% SID arginine, while the experimental diet contained 1.12% SID arginine (ARG). Diets were formulated to meet or exceed all other NRC (2012) nutrient recommendations. Sow body weight (BW), backfat (BF), and body condition score (BCS) were recorded upon entering the farrowing room and upon weaning. Piglet litter weights were recorded after cross-fostering and at 20 days of age, to assess litter growth rate. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models, with treatment as a fixed effect and group as a random effect. Post-foster litter size and litter weight were added as covariates. Models were fit using R (v4.4.1), and results were considered significant at P ≤ 0.05 and a tendency at 0.50 < P ≤ 0.10. Sow and litter were considered the experimental unit. Sow lactation length and BW at wean were not different between treatments (P = 0.76 and 0.63, respectively). There was no difference in ADFI with ARG consuming 7.28 ± 0.095 kg/d and the CON consuming 7.48 ± 0.095 kg/d (P = 0.12). The supplementation of Arg did not change BCS at weaning (2.72, 2.76 (scale of 1-5); P = 0.57). Upon entering the farrowing room, sow BF was 10.13 and 10.00 mm for the CON and Arg diets, respectively. The change in BF after weaning did not differ between dietary treatments (P = 0.53). The number of pigs weaned per sow was not different between sows in both treatments (12.1 ± 0.119 piglets, P = 0.79). Starting litter weight was 20.07 ± 0.357 kg for CON and 21.66 ± 0.357 kg for ARG. Litter wean weight did not differ between treatments (P = 0.69). Piglet average daily gain (ADG) differed significantly between treatments, with a mean of 0.25 ± 0.004 kg/d for CON and 0.24 ± 0.004 kg/d for ARG (P = 0.02). Post-foster mortality was not affected by Arg supplementation, with CON post-foster mortality at 6.37% and ARG at 5.96% (P = 0.43). This resulted in total livability of 93.3% (CON) and 94.0% (ARG), which did not differ (P = 0.43). In summary, Arg supplementation during lactation did not significantly influence sow performance or overall piglet growth and livability.