Effect of dietary anise flavour on performance of sows and their litter at differentweaning ages

摘要

Insufficient feed intake by sows during lactation is problematic because sows require large amounts of energy and nutrients for high milk production. A low feed intake during lactation may lead to greater bodyweight (BW) loss, lower milk production, and reproductive problems that may result in early culling of sows (Eissen et al. 2000). Feed intake is greatly influenced by the chemical senses of olfaction and taste, and feed flavouring agents can be added to enhance the smell and taste of feed in order to stimulate intake. In addition, Wang etal. (2014) reported that flavour increased the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of lactating sows, as well as improving the ADF1 and average daily gain (ADG) of weanling pigs. According to Maes et al. (2004), the back fat measurements constitute a valuable tool to monitor and improve the productivity and efficiency of high producing pig herds. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of dietary anise flavour (AF) on performance of lactating sows and their litters.