Effects of L-carnitine fed during gestation and lactation on sow and litter performance

Multiparous sows (n = 307) were used to evaluate the effects of added dieta ry L-carnitine, 100 mg/d during gestation and 50 ppm during lactation, on s ow and litter performance. Treatments were arranged as a 2 (gestation or la ctation) x 2 (with or without L-carnitine) factorial. Control sows were fed 1.81 kg/d of a gestation diet containing .65% total lysine. Treated sows w ere fed 1.59 kg/d of the control diet with a .23 kg/d topdressing of the co ntrol diet that provided 100 mg/d of added L-carnitine. Lactation diets wer e formulated to contain 1.0% total lysine with or without 50 ppm of added L -carnitine. Sows fed 100 mg/d of added L-carnitine had increased IGF-I conc entration on d 60 (71.3 vs 38.0 ng/mL, P < .01) and 90 of gestation (33.0 v s 25.0 ng/mL, P = .04). Sows fed added L-carnitine had increased BW gain (5 5.3 vs 46.3 kg; P < .01) and last rib fat depth gain (2.6 vs 1.6 mm; P = .0 4) during gestation. Feeding 100 mg/d of added L-carnitine in gestation inc reased both total litter (15.5 vs 14.6 kg; P = .04) and pig (1.53 vs 1.49 k g; P < .01) birth weight. No differences were observed in pig birth weight variation. Added L-carnitine fed during gestation increased litter weaning weight (45.0 vs 41.3 kg, P = .02); however, no effect of feeding L-carnitin e during lactation was observed. No differences were observed in subsequent days to estrus or farrowing rate. Compared to the control diet, feeding ad ded L-carnitine in either gestation, lactation, or both, increased (P < .05 ) the subsequent number of pigs born alive, but not total born. In conclusi on, feeding L-carnitine throughout gestation increased sow body weight and last rib fat depth gain and increased litter weights at birth and weaning.