Article

Received 19.12.2025

Revised 23.04.2026

Accepted 26.05.2026

Published 30.06.2026

Retrieved from Volume 30, No. 2, 2026

Pages 49 -59

Luhovyi, S., Povoznikov, M., Kalynycnenko, H., Onyshchenko, L., & Moisei, I. (2026). The effect of adding a dietary fibre feed supplement on sow welfare, reproductive performance, and farrowing economic indicators. Ukrainian Black Sea Region Agrarian Science, 30(2), 49-59. https://doi.org/10.56407/bs.agrarian/2.2026.49

The effect of adding a dietary fibre feed supplement on sow welfare, reproductive performance, and farrowing economic indicators

Serhii Luhovyi Mykola Povoznikov Halyna Kalynycnenko Liudmyla Onyshchenko Ihor Moisei

The purpose of the research was to study the effect of including 1.0% of the feed fibre supplement in the diets of pregnant and lactating sows on the course of farrowing, reproductive performance, growth intensity and survival of piglets, as well as the economic efficiency of production. The study was conducted under the conditions of an industrial pig complex on two groups of sows formed according to the principle of analogues. The control group received standard compound feed according to physiological condition, while the sows of the experimental group additionally received the fibre supplement JELUVET® at a dose of 10 kg/t of compound feed. Feed conversion was recalculated per one weaned piglet and per 1 kg of piglet weight gain. It was established that the use of fibre reduced the proportion of farrowings with complications by 2.83% and decreased expenditures on preventive and therapeutic measures by 72.16 UAH per sow (34.4%). Number born alive piglets in the experimental group increased by 0.58 (4.1%), and the total number of piglets born per farrowing exceeded the control by 0.51 (3.4%). The average weight of stillborn piglets decreased by 1.07 percentage points, while the litter weight of piglets at birth increased by 1.06 kg (5.7%) and at weaning by 2.92 kg (3.5%), without a negative effect on individual piglet weight gains. The use of the supplement did not increase total feed consumption; however, it reduced feed expenditure per 1 kg of piglet weight gain by 0.21 kg (3.3%) and per one weaned piglet by 1.71 kg (4.2%). Economic evaluation showed that the additional profit per sow amounted to 622.07 UAH, which confirmed the economic feasibility of using the fibre supplement. The obtained results indicated that the inclusion of 1.0% fibre supplement in the diet of pregnant and lactating sows improved the course of farrowing, increased prolificacy and the total productivity of piglet litters, promoted efficient feed utilisation, and ensured a significant economic effect

piglets; pregnancy; lactation; dietary fibre; economic efficiency
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