Growth and development of offspring following supplementation of sow diets with oil during early to mid gestation

The role of dietary fat during early pregnancy in sows has not yet been fully established. The aim of the study was to determine the consequences of altering the fatty acid profile of sow diets during the first half of gestation; oils of different fatty acid composition were chosen as energy supplements to provide diets with different fatty acid profiles. A group of 48 multiparous sows were used to evaluate the effects of supplemental feeding during the first 60 days of gestation (term ≈ 115 days). Sows were allocated (eight per treatment) to either 3 kg/day of commercial sow pellets (control; C) or an experimental diet consisting of 3 kg/day of commercial sow pellets supplemented with 10% extra energy in the form of excess pellets (E), palm oil (P), olive oil (O), sunflower oil (S) or fish oil (F). Differential effects were observed with respect to the fatty acid profile of the diet during the first half of gestation. P sows gave birth to the largest litters. Both P and O supplementation of the maternal diet resulted in heavier piglets at birth, after correction for differences in litter size. P piglets possessed the most fat at birth and remained fatter throughout the pre-weaning period; in contrast, the offspring of O sows contained the least fat throughout life (0 to 140 days of age). The offspring of F sows exhibited improved growth performance during the neonatal period. In conclusion, altering the fatty acid profile of sow diets during the first half of gestation has long-term consequences for the growth and development of their offspring.