Additional feeding during late gestation improves initial litter weight of lactating sows exposed to high ambient temperature

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the impacts of additional feeding (AF; containing 16% excess feed than control diet in the last two weeks of gestation) during late gestation period and different backfat thickness (BFT) including low (<20 mm) and high (≥20 mm) backfat on reproductive performance, litter size, blood metabolites, hormonal profiles, colostrum, and milk composition of sows from day 90 of gestation to farrowing, and from farrowing to weaning during summer (average 28.3 °C). Fifty-four crossbred sows (Yorkshire × Landrace) were allotted to one of four treatments according...