Interpretive Summary: Effects of yeast-based pre- and probiotics in lactation diets of sows on litter performance and antimicrobial resistance of fecal Escherichia coli of sows 

By: Jenna A Chance, Joel M DeRouchey, Raghavendra G Amachawadi, Victor Ishengoma, Tiruvoor G Nagaraja, Robert D Goodband, Jason C Woodworth, Mike D Tokach, Qing Kang, Joseph A Loughmiller, Brian Hotze, Jordan T Gebhardt

Feeding sows live yeast and yeast extracts from day 110 of gestation through lactation tended to increase lactation feed intake but did not affect any other sow or litter performance criteria. Live yeast and yeast extracts in the diet had minimal effect on the antimicrobial resistance of fecal E. coli isolates. Regardless of the diet, fecal E. coli isolates were susceptible to 11 of the 14 antimicrobials when sows entered the farrowing house. But most of the antimicrobials were classified as intermediate or with a tendency toward resistance at weaning even though none of these antibiotics were used during the lactation period. Our findings agree with other cross-sectional studies on AMR where high AMR gene levels reported among young pigs were attributed to sow population.

Read the full article on the Journal of Animal Science.