Reproductive Performance and Milk Composition of Sows Fed Diets Supplemented with an Immunomodulator

Mark J. Estienne; Jung W. Lee; R. Tyler Niblett; Brooke D. Humphrey; H. James Monegue; Merlin D. Lindemann

doi:10.3390/ani15101427

Reproductive Performance and Milk Composition of Sows Fed Diets Supplemented with an Immunomodulator

Mark J. Estienne
, Jung W. Lee
, R. Tyler Niblett
, Brooke D. Humphrey
, H. James Monegue
, Merlin D. Lindemann

Animal and Food Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A cooperative study involving 189 litters from 114 sows (initial BW of 200.8 ± 37.1 kg) at two experiment stations was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with OmniGen-AF (OG) (Phibro Animal Health Co., Teaneck, NJ, USA), a nutritional product formulated to improve immune function of animals, on sow reproductive performance and milk composition. Dietary treatments were (1) corn–soybean meal-based control diets or (2) control diets supplemented with OG at 0.75% (~9 g of OG/100 kg BW/d). Supplementation of diets with OG resulted in lesser (p < 0.05) BW changes of sows during lactation (−12.1 vs. −8.2 kg). Litter sizes for control and OG-fed sows were similar, but sows fed OG-based diets had greater (p < 0.05) litter weight for total born (18.3 vs. 19.3 kg) and weaned (63.2 vs. 67.0 kg) and lactation litter gain (47.8 vs. 50.7 kg). Lactation feed intake for the controls and OG-fed sows (5.32 vs. 5.52 kg/d, respectively) did not differ. Supplementing diets with OG increased lactose content (5.78 vs. 5.84%; p = 0.05) and reduced protein content (4.77 vs. 4.68%; p = 0.04) in sow milk. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with OG at 0.75% reduced weight loss during lactation and improved litter weights with marginal effects on the milk composition of sows.

Original language	English
Article number	1427
Journal	Animals
Volume	15
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15101427
State	Published - May 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 by the authors.

Funding

Funding for this work was provided in part by the Kentucky and Virginia Agricultural Experiment Stations and the Hatch Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and a grant from Phibro Animal Health Co. (Teaneck, NJ, USA). The research was conducted under the auspices of the S-1081 Regional Research Committee on Nutrition and Management of Swine for Increased Reproduction Efficiency.

Funders
Phibro Animal Health Co.
US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
Kentucky and Virginia Agricultural Experiment Stations
U.S. Department of Agriculture
S-1081 Regional Research Committee on Nutrition and Management of Swine for Increased Reproduction Efficiency

Keywords

feed intake
immunomodulator
lactation
litter size
sow

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Animal Science and Zoology
General Veterinary

Access to Document

10.3390/ani15101427

Cite this

@article{e29bfc19988e4877b0effe17d20bbcea,

title = "Reproductive Performance and Milk Composition of Sows Fed Diets Supplemented with an Immunomodulator",

abstract = "A cooperative study involving 189 litters from 114 sows (initial BW of 200.8 ± 37.1 kg) at two experiment stations was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with OmniGen-AF (OG) (Phibro Animal Health Co., Teaneck, NJ, USA), a nutritional product formulated to improve immune function of animals, on sow reproductive performance and milk composition. Dietary treatments were (1) corn–soybean meal-based control diets or (2) control diets supplemented with OG at 0.75\% (\textasciitilde{}9 g of OG/100 kg BW/d). Supplementation of diets with OG resulted in lesser (p < 0.05) BW changes of sows during lactation (−12.1 vs. −8.2 kg). Litter sizes for control and OG-fed sows were similar, but sows fed OG-based diets had greater (p < 0.05) litter weight for total born (18.3 vs. 19.3 kg) and weaned (63.2 vs. 67.0 kg) and lactation litter gain (47.8 vs. 50.7 kg). Lactation feed intake for the controls and OG-fed sows (5.32 vs. 5.52 kg/d, respectively) did not differ. Supplementing diets with OG increased lactose content (5.78 vs. 5.84\%; p = 0.05) and reduced protein content (4.77 vs. 4.68\%; p = 0.04) in sow milk. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with OG at 0.75\% reduced weight loss during lactation and improved litter weights with marginal effects on the milk composition of sows.",

keywords = "feed intake, immunomodulator, lactation, litter size, sow",

author = "Estienne, \{Mark J.\} and Lee, \{Jung W.\} and Niblett, \{R. Tyler\} and Humphrey, \{Brooke D.\} and Monegue, \{H. James\} and Lindemann, \{Merlin D.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 by the authors.",

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month = may,

doi = "10.3390/ani15101427",

language = "English",

volume = "15",

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AU - Estienne, Mark J.

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AU - Humphrey, Brooke D.

AU - Monegue, H. James

AU - Lindemann, Merlin D.

PY - 2025/5

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N2 - A cooperative study involving 189 litters from 114 sows (initial BW of 200.8 ± 37.1 kg) at two experiment stations was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with OmniGen-AF (OG) (Phibro Animal Health Co., Teaneck, NJ, USA), a nutritional product formulated to improve immune function of animals, on sow reproductive performance and milk composition. Dietary treatments were (1) corn–soybean meal-based control diets or (2) control diets supplemented with OG at 0.75% (~9 g of OG/100 kg BW/d). Supplementation of diets with OG resulted in lesser (p < 0.05) BW changes of sows during lactation (−12.1 vs. −8.2 kg). Litter sizes for control and OG-fed sows were similar, but sows fed OG-based diets had greater (p < 0.05) litter weight for total born (18.3 vs. 19.3 kg) and weaned (63.2 vs. 67.0 kg) and lactation litter gain (47.8 vs. 50.7 kg). Lactation feed intake for the controls and OG-fed sows (5.32 vs. 5.52 kg/d, respectively) did not differ. Supplementing diets with OG increased lactose content (5.78 vs. 5.84%; p = 0.05) and reduced protein content (4.77 vs. 4.68%; p = 0.04) in sow milk. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with OG at 0.75% reduced weight loss during lactation and improved litter weights with marginal effects on the milk composition of sows.

AB - A cooperative study involving 189 litters from 114 sows (initial BW of 200.8 ± 37.1 kg) at two experiment stations was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with OmniGen-AF (OG) (Phibro Animal Health Co., Teaneck, NJ, USA), a nutritional product formulated to improve immune function of animals, on sow reproductive performance and milk composition. Dietary treatments were (1) corn–soybean meal-based control diets or (2) control diets supplemented with OG at 0.75% (~9 g of OG/100 kg BW/d). Supplementation of diets with OG resulted in lesser (p < 0.05) BW changes of sows during lactation (−12.1 vs. −8.2 kg). Litter sizes for control and OG-fed sows were similar, but sows fed OG-based diets had greater (p < 0.05) litter weight for total born (18.3 vs. 19.3 kg) and weaned (63.2 vs. 67.0 kg) and lactation litter gain (47.8 vs. 50.7 kg). Lactation feed intake for the controls and OG-fed sows (5.32 vs. 5.52 kg/d, respectively) did not differ. Supplementing diets with OG increased lactose content (5.78 vs. 5.84%; p = 0.05) and reduced protein content (4.77 vs. 4.68%; p = 0.04) in sow milk. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with OG at 0.75% reduced weight loss during lactation and improved litter weights with marginal effects on the milk composition of sows.

KW - feed intake

KW - immunomodulator

KW - lactation

KW - litter size

KW - sow

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VL - 15

JO - Animals

JF - Animals

IS - 10

M1 - 1427

ER -

Reproductive Performance and Milk Composition of Sows Fed Diets Supplemented with an Immunomodulator

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Cite this