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Abstract

The objective of this pilot study was to determine the effect of dietary porcine plasma on circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations in gestating sows and characteristics of their litters. Primiparous and multiparous sows were randomly allocated to two treatment groups of sows fed a basal diet or sows fed the basal diet plus 6 g of porcine plasma throughout gestation. On 4 periods during gestation and farrowing, blood was collected for IGF-1 analysis. After farrowing, gestation length, number born, birth weight, and total litter weight were recorded. There were no three-way or two-way interactions between treatments, day of gestation, or parity for sow IGF-1 concentration (P>0.142). Treatment also did not affect (P=0.117) sow IGF-1 concentration. There were no treatment × parity or treatment effects on litter measures (P=0.170). Feeding porcine plasma at the low level employed in the study did not improve sow IGF-1 or litter measures.

Keywords: Piglets, Fetal Growth, Porcine Plasma

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