Sow performance in response to natural betaine fed during lactation and post-weaning during summer and non-summer months

Table 5 Effect of betaine supplementation on subsequent reproductive performance of sows during the summer months (Exp. 1)^d

	Parity 1 and 2				Parity 3+				SEM	P-values^e
	Betaine in lactation diets, %									P-values^e
	0	0	0.2	0.2	0	0	0.2	0.2		Parity group	Betaine lactation	Betaine post- weaning
	Betaine in post-weaning diets, %
Item	0	0.2	0	0.2	0	0.2	0	0.2
Sows, n	76	83	83	80	85	80	80	82
Days to estrus	6.73	6.17	7.94	5.79	5.82	5.64	6.24	5.43	0.674	0.068	0.587	0.054
Bred within 7 days:weaned	0.842	0.916	0.783	0.850	0.894	0.913	0.888	0.927	0.036	0.026	0.256	0.055
Bred within 14 days:weaned	0.868	0.928	0.807	0.863	0.918	0.913	0.900	0.939	0.034	0.037	0.227	0.127
Overall bred:weaned^f	0.974	1.000	0.940	0.913	0.988	0.975	1.000	0.988	0.018	0.015	0.059	0.606
Returns:bred within 14 days^g	0.136	0.169	0.119	0.087	0.038	0.123	0.097	0.169	0.038	0.434	0.959	0.145
Farrowed:weaned^h	0.921	0.880	0.855	0.825	0.953	0.875	0.925	0.890	0.035	0.098	0.175	0.060
Cull:weaned	0.053	0.108	0.072	0.138	0.047	0.075	0.063	0.049	0.029	0.098	0.648	0.104
Total pigs bornⁱ	12.55^b	13.33^a,b	13.39^a,b	12.35^b	14.17^a	13.30^a,b	14.46^a	14.00^a	0.462	0.001	0.511	0.224
Pigs born alive^j	11.94^b,c	12.75^a,b,c	12.84^ab	11.56^c	13.05^a,b	12.59^a,b,c	13.20^a	13.00^a,b	0.439	0.026	0.827	0.367
Stillborn pigs^k	0.62	0.58	0.55	0.79	1.11	0.71	1.27	1.00	0.160	0.001	0.196	0.286
Mummies	0.129	0.172	0.159	0.180	0.117	0.129	0.214	0.164	0.061	0.927	0.327	0.880

^a,b,cMeans with different superscripts differ (P ≤ 0.05)
^dValues represent least squares means of n sows
^eThe statistical analysis tested for main effects of betaine supplementation during lactation, post-weaning, or both, parity group and their interactions. The group of placement (1 to 30) was used as the random effect in the analysis of days to estrus, total pigs born, pigs born alive, stillborn pigs, and mummies
^fLactation and parity group interaction (P = 0.004)
^gLactation and parity group interaction (P = 0.058)
^hSows that were weaned and farrowed regardless of the day that were bred
ⁱThree factor interaction (P = 0.087)
^jThree factor interaction (P = 0.057)
^kPost-weaning and parity group interaction (P = 0.051)

ISSN: 2049-1891