Effects of some aromatic compounds on piglets' performance. [Italian]

Diets with flavour additives (vanilla or fruit flavour) 35 g/kg were given to sows 10 days before farrowing and during lactation (42 days). The flavours were also given to the piglets in pre-starter and starter diets from birth to 63 days old. Using gas-liquid chromatography it was shown that the volatile fraction of the flavours appeared in sow milk. Addition of the fruit flavour to piglet diets increased weight at weaning compared with piglets not given diets with flavours (8.57 vs. 7.94 kg) and vanilla and fruit flavours increased final weight (15.22 and 16.54 vs. 15.04 kg). Feed conversion for untreated, and vanilla and fruit flavoured diets was 1.63, 1.61 and 1.54, respectively. It is concluded that the stress of weaning is reduced if flavours given to sows are transferred to sow milk and the same flavours are added to starter diets.