Abstract
Complex adaptation strategies concerning nutrition, housing technology, and veterinary treatment are required to maintain current production levels under increasingly stringent regulations on the preventive application of antibiotics. The reduced application of antibiotics is recommended for the sustainability of industrial pig production. Probiotic supplementation may contribute to improved sow and piglet health, mitigating the need for antibiotics. The effects of probiotic supplementation on sow performance and the quantity of fecal bacterial communities in lactating sows were investigated. Experimental sows received probiotic supplementation (n=10) and were compared to control sows (n=10). Fecal samples were collected from 20 sows in the second week of lactation. The quantitative measurement of total bacteria, Prevotella genus, Lactobacillus spp., and Bifidobacterium spp. was done by qPCR. Differences in backfat thickness (BFT), BFT loss, and feed intake of control and experimental sows were not significant (p>0.05). The amount of total bacteria, Prevotella, and Lactobacillus spp. was lower (p<0.05) in the fecal samples of experimental sows. The Prevotella percentage in total bacteria decreased, whereas Bifidobacterium spp. the ratio increased in experimental supplemented sows. Overall, probiotic supplementation resulted in notable alterations regarding some of the analyzed bacterial communities.
