Abstract
The present experiment aimed to study the effect of L-carnitine supplementation on body weight changes in sows before and after gestation and on the growth performance of their piglets from observations during successive gestations. Sows were given water ad libitum and fed the same diet twice a day before gestation and three times a day after gestation. Diet included 50 ppm L-carnitine in the experimental group 2 weeks prior to gestation. Body weight of sows was determined at the start of the experiment, the day of gestation, weaning, and after 1 month of weaning. Almost determined values of sows tended to be higher in the experimental group than that of the control group, but there was no significant difference. It can be suggested that L-carnitine supplementation resulted in a decrease in energy production for back fat during farrowing and lactation. Growth performance of piglets in the experiment group also showed increased growth and was the same as in the previous experiments for L-carnitine supplementation.
