Effect of feeding a gestation diet to sows for 5 days post-farrowing and feeding a liquid mixture of milk replacer and starter diet to suckling piglets on growth, selected health parameters and faecal microbiota of suckling pigs on two research farms

Lay Summary Suckling piglets have greater potential for pre-weaning growth than currently achieved in commercial production. Feeding sows a gestation diet during early lactation and liquid creep feeding should increase sow and piglet feed intake, respectively, with both leading to increased pre- and post-weaning pig growth. This study examined the effect of two sow lactation feeding regimes [lactation diet throughout lactation (CON) or gestation diet for the first 5 days of lactation, followed by lactation diet (GEST5)] and two creep feeding regimes [dry pelleted starter diet (DPS) or liquid mixture of milk replacer and starter diet (LMR+S)] on feed intake and growth. The study was conducted on two research farms, one in Ireland (IE) and the other in Switzerland (CH). Feeding GEST5 did not affect sow feed intake or changes in body reserves during lactation on both farms. Creep feed disappearance was higher for LMR+S in CH, but higher for DPS in IE. The GEST5 and LMR+S treatments did not affect pre- or post-weaning growth on either farm. In conclusion, feeding a gestation diet for 5 days post-farrowing did not increase lactation feed intake in sows, and sow feeding regime or liquid creep feeding did not affect pre- or post-weaning pig growth.