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Postpartum hypophagia in primiparous sows
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to investigate postpartum hypophagia in primiparous sows. Sows were either fed a standard level of feed (1.85 kg/d; SL) or were allowed to consume feed ad libitum (AL) from d 60 of gestation until farrowing. After farrowing, all sows were allowed to eat ad libitum and feed intake was measured daily. In Experiment 1, 48 blood samples were collected during a 24-h period and feeding behavior was observed on d 105 of gestation and weekly during a 21-d lactation. The AL sows ate less feed and lost more weight during lactation $(P<.01)$ than SL sows. Fewer meals (P =.02) of a similar size were consumed by AL sows during lactation. The area under the curve (AUC) formed by nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration was higher in AL than in SL sows (P =.06) and decreased during lactation. The AUC formed by insulin concentration was greater in SL than in AL sows (P =.004). In Experiment 2 sows were given a glucose tolerance test (1 g glucose/kg BW, i.v.) on d 1 lactation, and exogenous insulin (.75 IU/kg BW) or an equal volume of saline was injected after glucose tolerance on d 1 through d 7 of lactation. Sows were subjected to epinephrine challenge (.4 $\mu$g/kg BW, i.v.) on d 3 of lactation. Compared with SL sows, glucose was cleared more slowly after infusion in AL sows, resulting in an increased AUC formed by glucose concentration $(P<.001).$ In AL sows insulin cleared glucose less effectively. Peak insulin concentration during glucose tolerance was similar between treatments, but the AUC formed by insulin concentration was greater in AL sows (P =.03). Injecting insulin increased ADFI through d 7 of lactation (P =.07). Epinephrine stimulation caused greater nonesterified fatty acid release in AL than in SL (P =.001) sows and was not affected by insulin treatment. Glucose release after epinephrine stimulation was increased by insulin treatment (P =.07). The postpartum hypophagia of AL sows may be related to reduced glucose tolerance. Exogenous insulin administration seemed to increase intake via its effects on concentrations of plasma glucose.
Subject Area
Livestock
Recommended Citation
Weldon, William Clyde, "Postpartum hypophagia in primiparous sows" (1992). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9219391.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9219391