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

Table 8 Effect of betaine supplementation on subsequent reproductive performance of sows during non-summer months (Exp. 2)^c

Item	Parity 1 and 2				Parity 3+				SEM	P-values^d
	Betaine in lactation diets, %									P-values^d
	0	0	0.2	0.2	0	0	0.2	0.2		Parity group	Betaine lactation	Betaine post- weaning
	Betaine in post-weaning diets, %
	0	0.2	0	0.2	0	0.2	0	0.2
Sows, n	77	73	74	76	81	82	83	81
Days to estrus^e	6.67^a,b	8.19^a	6.83^a,b	5.76^b	8.21^a	6.93^a,b	7.26^a,b	6.70^a,b	0.752	0.401	0.077	0.473
Bred within 7 days:weaned	0.792	0.740	0.811	0.803	0.679	0.780	0.735	0.765	0.048	0.172	0.370	0.601
Bred within 14 days:weaned	0.831	0.753	0.838	0.829	0.778	0.817	0.855	0.790	0.044	0.930	0.290	0.369
Overall bred:weaned^f	0.987	0.918	0.973	0.921	1.000	1.000	0.988	0.963	0.019	0.005	0.268	0.008
Returns:bred within 14 days^g	0.109	0.109	0.081	0.095	0.143	0.119	0.239	0.219	0.044	0.008	0.214	0.809
Farrowed:weaned^g,h	0.870	0.822	0.865	0.803	0.963	0.915	0.831	0.802	0.039	0.169	0.015	0.089
Cull:weanedⁱ	0.104	0.153	0.108	0.171	0.025	0.061	0.120	0.148	0.035	0.069	0.040	0.079
Total born	12.54	12.37	13.53	12.19	14.49	13.77	14.00	13.66	0.441	< 0.001	0.868	0.040
Born alive	12.13	11.85	12.56	11.72	13.54	12.76	13.05	12.88	0.412	0.001	0.954	0.075
Still born	0.41	0.53	0.84	0.47	0.88	0.91	0.83	0.78	0.126	0.001	0.620	0.448
Mummies	0.222	0.132	0.143	0.158	0.305	0.214	0.322	0.138	0.064	0.073	0.536	0.054

^a,bMeans with different superscripts differ (P ≤ 0.05)
^cValues represent least squares means of n sows
^dThe statistical analysis tested for main effects of betaine supplementation during lactation and/or post-weaning, parity group and their interactions. The group of placement (1 to 28) was used as the random effect in the analysis of days to estrus, total born, born alive, still born, and mummies
^eThree way interaction (P = 0.09)
^fPost-weaning and parity group interaction (P = 0.079)
^gLactation and parity group interaction (P ≤ 0.05)
^hSows that were weaned and farrowed regardless of the day that were bred
ⁱLactation and parity group interaction (P = 0.108)

ISSN: 2049-1891