Use of cornstarch or fermented soybean meal in lactation diet improved sows' nutrient utilization and litter performance during lactation.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of cornstarch (CS) and fermented soybean meal (FSM) substitutions for conventional corn and soybean meal, respectively, on sow's performance, nutrient digestibility, milk composition, and oxidative status during lactation.

Methods: Twenty-four lactating sows (8 sows/treatment) were assigned to either a standard lactation diet (CON), a CS diet in which pure CS substituted 60% of starch provided by conventional corn, or FSM diet in which FSM substituted 60% of crude protein provided by soybean meal. The experiment lasted from day 2 to 28 of lactation.

Results: Compared with CON, the CS and FSM groups increased piglet live weight (p<0.05) and average daily gain (p<0.10), elevated milk superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (p<0.05), respectively, on day 28, and reduced (p<0.05) milk somatic cell counts on day 28; the CS group had higher (p<0.05) coefficient of apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, gross energy, and ash but lower (p<0.05) serum β-hydroxybutyric acid and non-esterified fatty acids on day 28.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the use of CS is much more robust in relieving body mobilization although both CS and FSM diets had beneficial effects on piglet performance by improving nutrient digestibility and milk quality of lactation sow.