Effect of the use of propylene glycol as a gluconeogenic additive in lactating sows in El Progreso farm, Suchitoto municipality, Cuscatlán department, El Salvador

Abstract

The research was carried out in sows of the PIC® line from first to fourth birth, in the farm the progress located in the municipality of Suchitoto, Cuscatlán, El Salvador, in the period from November 2018 to January 2019. The purpose was to show an increase of weights  of  piglets  at  weaning  due  to  better  milk  production,  by  using  addition  to  the  propylene  glycol  gluconeogenic  feed.  80  experimental units were used, 40 being for the control treatment and 40 for the propylene glycol treatment, the 40 sows of each treatment were divided (10 by birth number). The sows chosen for the study should be homogeneous and not have very high weight ranges between them, in addition to being in optimal health and not  having  negative  histories  during  childbirth  or  maternity,  the  sows under treatment were identified in their technical file and in the  feeder  with  his  earring  number.  Propylene  glycol  was  given  orally as an additive in the food, being given twice a day during the entire period of breastfeeding, the dose used was at a rate of 1 kg per tonne of concentrate. According to the results obtained through the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney statistical test with a level of significance of 0.05 (p <0.05), if there are significant differences between treatments for weight  loss and feed conversion  in sows of  all  births,  being  more  efficient  in  sows  of  first  birth  for  weight  loss; First and second birth for feed conversion, in weight at the time  of  piglet  weaning  there  is  a  significant  difference  for  the  sows of first and third birth, no significant difference being found for the number of piglets weaned for the sows of any birth