Rye Bran as a Component in the Diets of Lactating Sows—Effects on Sow and Piglet Performance.

Simple Summary: The use of by-products such as rye bran in sow diets is interesting in terms of functional ingredients, cost, and sustainability. Rye bran has many positive properties for the intestinal health of sows, so its use in their diet is appropriate. In this study, the effects of rye bran in a compound feed for lactating sows were investigated with regard to performance in terms of loss of body weight and backfat thickness in the sow as well as weight gains in piglets. There was no significant effect of rye bran on the performance of sows concerning the above parameters. The daily weight gains of the piglets also showed no differences. From a cost and sustainability perspective, the use of by-products such as rye bran in sow diets is of particular interest. Rye bran has valuable ingredients that have potential benefits for the gut health of sows. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of including 15% rye bran in the sows' feed on the performance of sows and piglets. The feeding started one week before the farrowing date and ended at weaning. Performance was evaluated by measuring sow (n = 175) and piglet body weight (n = 1372) and sows' backfat thickness (n = 80). These data were additionally used to calculate the colostrum intake of the suckling piglets and the sows' milk production. It was found that there were no differences in the performance parameters between the experimental and control groups. However, this study showed that the piglets with light birth weight (LBW (<1000 g)) and medium birth weight (MBW (1000–1500 g) consumed more colostrum when the sows were fed rye bran (LBW: C/R 203.0 ± 39.2 g/214.3 ± 35.9 g; MBW: 291.3 ± 39.0 g/298.5 ± 36.4 g). It can be concluded that including 15% rye bran in the feed of lactating sows has no obvious negative effects on the performance of sows and piglets. Further studies are needed to evaluate the possible positive effects of rye bran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]