Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Mannose Oligosaccharides on the Body Condition, Lactation Performance and Their Offspring of Heat-Stressed Sows

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with mannose oligosaccharide (MOS) on the condition of the body and the reproductive and lactation performances of sows. Eighty pregnant sows were randomly assigned to four groups with a 2 × 2 factorial design: with or without MOS (1 g/kg) and with or without heat stress (HS) challenge. The temperature in the HS groups (HS and HM group) was controlled at 31.56 ± 1.22 °C, while the temperature in the active cooling (AC) groups (AC and AM group) was controlled at 23.49 ± 0.72 °C. The weight loss of sows in the AC group was significantly lower than that of sows in the HS group (p p p p p p p < 0.05). In conclusion, HS significantly affected the body condition, lactation performances and their offspring of sows. However, dietary supplementation with 1 g/kg MOS did not result in statistically significant changes.

Keywords

• sows
• mannose oligosaccharide (MOS)
• heat stress (HS)
• weight loss
• reproductive performance
• lactation performance