Maternal supplementation with Bacillus altitudinis spores improves porcine offspring growth performance and carcass weight

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding Bacillus altitudinis spores to sows and/or offspring on growth and health indicators. On day (D) 100 of gestation, 24 sows were selected and grouped as: control (CON), fed with a standard diet; and probiotic (PRO), fed the standard diet supplemented with B. altitudinis WIT588 spores from D100 of gestation until weaning. Offspring (n=144) from each of the two sow treatments were assigned to either a CON (no probiotic) or PRO (B. altitudinis-supplemented) treatment for 28 days post-weaning (pw), resulting in four treatment groups: 1) CON/CON, non-probiotic supplemented sow/non-probiotic supplemented piglet; 2) CON/PRO, non-probiotic supplemented sow/probiotic-supplemented piglet; 3) PRO/CON, probiotic-supplemented sow/non-probiotic supplemented piglet; 4) PRO/PRO, probiotic-supplemented sow/probiotic-supplemented piglet. Bacillus altitudinis WIT588 was detected in the faeces of probiotic supplemented sows and their piglets, and in the faeces and intestine of probiotic-supplemented piglets. Colostrum from PRO sows had higher total solids (P=0.02), protein (P=0.04), and true protein (P=0.05), and lower lactose (P<0.01) than colostrum from CON sows. Maternal treatment improved offspring feed conversion ratio at D0-14 pw (P<0.001) and increased offspring body weight at D105 and D127 pw (P=0.01), carcass weight (P=0.05) and kill-out percentage (P