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Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports
1988; Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station contribution; no. 88-149-S; Report of progress (Kansas State University. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service); 556; Swine; Flic acid; Sow diets
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Folic Acid Supplementation For Sow Diets (1988), Jim L. Nelssen
Folic Acid Supplementation For Sow Diets (1988), Jim L. Nelssen
Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports
Folic acid is an essential B-vitamin for swine, and green, leafy plants are an -excellent source of this vitamin. Even though pigs cannot synthesize folic acid, bacteria in their lower gut can, making feces another source of folic acid. Research in the late 1940's and early 1950's indicated that folic acid supplementation to pig diets was not necessary. However, in the last 40 years, the number of sows raised in outside lots with access to leafy plants has decreased. Also, improvements in waste removal systems have decreased the sow's access to fecal material. These changes in management systems have removed …