THE EFFECT OF SOW NUTRITION DURING LACTATION ON THE INCIDENCE AND SEVERITY OF OSTEOCHONDROSIS IN THEIR OFFSPRING AT 100 kg LIVEWEIGHT

Abstract

Eighty crossbred pigs at weaning were selected from 20, third-parity sows which had been fed either an adequate or restricted (50% of adequate) level of energy and protein during lactation for three consecutive parities. Pigs, in groups of four, were housed in 2.4-m × 1.5-m concrete-floored pens and fed standard starter, grower and finisher diets (19, 16 and 14% crude protein, respectively) ad libitum. Locomotory ability was recorded prior to slaughter at 100 kg liveweight. Sites in the elbow joint and distal ulna physis were examined for evidence of osteochondrosis. Pigs from restricted-fed sows were lighter at birth and weaning (P < 0.01) and had significantly higher rates of liveweight gain during the grower (7–60 kg) period than pigs from adequately fed sows. Locomotory ability, morphology under light microscopy and overall incidence of osteochondrotic lesions did not differ (P > 0.05) between pigs from the two sow nutrition regimes, nor between sexes. Osteochondrotic lesion score in the distal ulna physis was higher (P < 0.01) in pigs from restricted-fed sows and was weakly correlated (r = 0.16, P < 0.001) with the extent of maternal weight loss over the lactation period. Lesion scores for the lateral humeral condyle and proximal ulna were higher (P < 0.05) for pigs from adequately fed sows. The possibility of an etiological difference between physeal and articular-epiphyseal lesions of osteochondrosis is discussed. Maternal nutrition can not be ruled out as a factor in the etiology of physeal lesions. Key words: Swine, osteochondrosis, maternal nutrition, lactation