Effects of folic acid on the performance of suckling piglets and sows during lactation

BACKGROUND: The present research was conducted to investigate the influences of supplementation with different levels of folic acids in diet on the performance of lactating sows. Twenty Landrace × Yorkshire sows received the same basal corn–soybean diets (folic acid, 1.3 mg kg −1 ) from gestation to parturition (day 107). After parturition, sows were allotted to four treatments: control group (folic acid supplementation level, 0 mg kg −1 ), group 1 (12.5 mg kg −1 ), group 2 (50 mg kg −1 ) and group 3 (100 mg kg −1 ), with five replicates of one sow. The experiment lasted for 21 days. RESULTS: (1) Folic acid increased milk production ( P > 0.05). (2) Compared with the control, supplementation with folic acid (100 mg kg −1 ) increased the concentration of butter fat, total substance and non‐lipoid substance significantly ( P < 0.01), the concentration of milk protein was also significantly increased in group 2 and group 3 ( P < 0.01) in milk. (3) Folic acid supplementation could increase litter weaning weight, average piglet weaning weight and average piglet daily gain ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggested that supplementation with folic acid in the diets of lactating sows increases milk production, improved milk quality and the performance of piglets. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry