Comparison effects of dietary iron dextran and bacterial-iron supplementation on growth performance, fecal microbial flora, and blood profiles in sows and their litters.

This study was conducted to compare effects of dietary administration of iron dextran and bacterial-iron on growth performance, fecal microbial flora, and blood profiles in sows and their litters. A total of 20 multiparous sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly allotted into two treatments: (i) ID (basal diet, piglets were injected with iron dextran); (ii) BR (basal diet + bacterial-iron; bacterial-iron was given to sows, piglets were not injected with iron dextran). There were five replicates per treatment with two sows per replicate. No differences were observed on sow and piglet growth performance, fecal microbial flora as well as sow blood profiles between ID and BR treatments. In piglets, blood iron, red blood cell and hemoglobin concentrations in ID treatment were higher (P < 0.05) on days 12 and 24. Furthermore, concentration of white blood cells in BR treatment was lower (P < 0.05) on day 12. However, the percentage of lymphocytes on day 12 was increased (P < 0.05) in BR treatment. In conclusion, effect of iron dextran and bacterial-iron has no difference on growth performance in lactating sows and piglets, but iron dextran injection has higher blood iron, white blood cell, red blood cell and hemoglobin concentrations in piglets.