Evaluation of Agolin® Pig on sow and piglet performance and sow fecal microbial communities during lactation

Lay Summary Essential oils have been explored in livestock production as a natural antimicrobial to improve overall animal health and performance. This study investigated the effects of supplementing Agolin® Pig, a combination of micro-encapsulated essential oils, in late gestation and lactating sow diets on various aspects of sow and piglet performance during lactation, as well as the sow fecal microbiota. Twenty-five sows were blocked by parity and allotted into one of two treatment groups: 1) Agolin® Pig supplementation (AGO) at 200 ppm for two weeks before farrowing, during farrowing, and throughout lactation, or 2) no supplementation as a control (CON). All diets met standard nutritional requirements. The parameters measured were sow feed intake, body condition, milk composition, piglet growth performance, and sow fecal microbiota. Results indicated that AGO did not significantly affect sow feed intake, piglet growth, or colostrum and milk composition throughout lactation. However, sows fed AGO during lactation maintained body condition as measured by the Knauer Caliper, an objective tool to standardize sow body condition. There were slight changes in sow fecal microbiota diversity between the groups post-farrowing. This study suggests that Agolin® Pig may help maintain sow body condition during lactation and influence sow fecal microbiota.