Table 5.

Effects of dietary fat source and essential fatty acid intake on lactating sow performance¹

Trait	Control	CWG	SO	Combination	SEM	P
Sows, n	850	865	874	862	—	—
Parity	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.7	0.11	0.858
Pre-farrow days	4.6	4.6	4.6	4.6	0.12	0.528
Lactation length, d	24.1	24.1	24.0	24.1	0.11	0.733
Functional teats	14.9	14.9	14.9	14.9	0.13	0.999
Sow BW, kg
d 112 gestation	248.6	249.7	249.0	249.1	1.29	0.832
Wean	242.9	243.9	244.5	244.8	1.41	0.478
Change	−5.7b	−5.7b	−4.5ab	−4.1a	0.83	0.090
Sow backfat, mm
d 112 gestation	12.2	12.3	12.3	12.0	0.13	0.219
Wean	12.1a	12.1a	12.0a	11.7b	0.12	0.046
Change	−0.20	−0.17	−0.25	−0.22	0.085	0.857
Sow ADFI, kg
Pre-farrow	1.81	1.81	1.81	1.81	0.001	0.546
Lactation	6.64b	6.83a	6.57b	6.88a	0.039	<0.001
Lactation EFA intake, g/d
Linoleic acid2	83.0d	105.1c	173.6b	198.4a	0.83	<0.001
α-linolenic acid2	6.0d	8.2c	23.0b	26.9a	0.10	<0.001
Total EFA2	88.9d	112.6c	196.6b	225.3a	0.93	<0.001
Farrowing performance
Total pigs born, n	15.6	15.5	15.7	15.8	0.14	0.481
Pigs born alive, %	88.4a	88.3ab	87.9ab	87.4b	0.34	0.033
Stillborn,%	8.9b	9.4ab	9.4ab	10.2a	0.30	0.003
Mummy, %	2.6	2.3	2.7	2.4	0.15	0.276
Litter survivability, %
Birth to 24 h3	89.9	89.1	89.3	89.6	0.33	0.167
24 h to wean4	89.7	90.0	90.0	89.6	0.33	0.751

Means within row with different superscripts differ (P < 0.05).

A total of 3,451 sows and their litters were used over 28-d experimental periods with 850 to 874 sows per treatment. Experimental treatments contained supplemental fat at 0.5% (Control), 3% (CWG or SO), or 5% (Combination).

Calculated using analyzed LA and ALA values and overall lactation ADFI.

Survival from birth to 24 h, [(pigs born alive − count of mortality within 24 h)/pigs born alive].

Survival from 24 h to wean, count of pigs at weaning/count of pigs alive at 24 h.