Journal article

Publication year: 2005

Pages: 277-283

Journal: Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition

Volume number: 89

Issue number: 7-8

ISSN: 0931-2439

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0396.2005.00517.x

Publisher: Wiley

Abstract: 
Previous studies showed that supplementation of sows' diets with L-carnitine increases body weights of their piglets at birth. This study was performed to investigate whether piglets of sows treated with L-carnitine differ in their growth potential from that of piglets of untreated control sows after weaning. It was also investigated whether supplementation of piglets' diets with L-carnitine improves their growth after weaning. In two trials, piglets of the first litters of primiparous sows ( trial 1) and the second litters of the same sows ( trial 2) were divided into four groups: group 1, piglets of control sows, fed a control diet; group 2, piglets of control sows fed a diet supplemented with 30 mg L-carnitine/kg; group 3, piglets of L-carnitine-treated sows, fed a control diet; group 4, piglets of L-carnitine-treated sows fed a diet supplemented with 30 mg L-carnitine/ kg. Mean initial body weights of the piglets of the four groups were identical. They were 8.5 kg in trial 1 and 12.5 kg in trial 2. Diets were fed ad libitum over a period of 35 days. Piglets from sows treated with L-carnitine did not differ in body weight gains, feed intake and gain : feed ratio from those of control sows. In trial 1, piglets supplemented with L-carnitine had higher body weight gains ( p < 0.005) and showed a tendency towards a higher gain : feed ratio ( p = 0.09) than piglets fed the control diets. In trial 2, no significant difference in these parameters emerged between piglets fed the diet supplemented with L-carnitine and those fed the control diet. In conclusion, this study shows that dietary L-carnitine treatment of sows does not improve the growth potential of their piglets after weaning under the conditions of equal initial body weights. The study also shows that L-carnitine supplementation of their diets improves the growth performance in light piglets of primiparous sows.

Harvard Citation style: Birkenfeld, C., Ramanau, A., Kluge, H., Spilke, J. and Eder, K. (2005) Effect of dietary L-carnitine supplementation on growth performance of piglets from control sows or sows treated with L-carnitine during pregnancy and lactation, Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 89(7-8), pp. 277-283. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0396.2005.00517.x

APA Citation style: Birkenfeld, C., Ramanau, A., Kluge, H., Spilke, J., & Eder, K. (2005). Effect of dietary L-carnitine supplementation on growth performance of piglets from control sows or sows treated with L-carnitine during pregnancy and lactation. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition. 89(7-8), 277-283. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0396.2005.00517.x