Addition of fat to the diets of lactating sows: I. Effects on milk production and composition and carcass composition of the litter at weaning

In Exp. 1 two groups of 18 sows were used to evaluate the effects of supplemental dietary fat on sow and litter performance and milk production and composition. Sows were provided ad libitum access to either a corn-soybean meal (control) diet or a similar diet containing 10% tallow. Feed intake, ME intake, and milk yield did not differ (P > .10) between treatments. The percentage of solids in milk was greater (P < .05) for sows fed the tallow diet, due to an increase (P < .05) in the fat and ash content. Compared with percentages of fatty acids in milk of sows fed the control diet, the percentages of C10:0, C14:0, C16:0, C16:1, and C18:3 fatty acids were lower (P < .05) and the percentages of C18:0 and C18:1 fatty acids were higher in milk of sows fed tallow diets (P < .05). In Exp. 2, 30 sows were fed diets similar to those fed in Exp. 1, and the effects of a tallow diet on pig carcass composition at weaning were determined. Litter size was standardized to 10 pigs. There were no differences (P > .10) in ADFI of sows. Daily ME intake was greater for sows fed tallow than for control sows during wk 2 (P < .05), wk 3 (P < .10), and the entire lactation (P < .05) period. Litter weaning weight was greater (P < .05) for pigs from sows fed tallow diets than for pigs from control sows. Pigs from tallow-fed sows had greater carcass fat weight and fat percentages (P < .05) and lower water and protein percentages (P < .05). These data indicate that the increased fat content of milk from sows fed tallow diets resulted in an increased weight gain for litters nursing these sows. The composition of the increased weight gain is almost exclusively fat.