Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of adding Bentonite (Proteck, a bioactive mineral-based feed additive manufactured by Elanco, Greenfield, IN) to sow diets and its impact on performance in a commercial farm setting. Previous research has indicated that Proteck can reduce oxidative stress and enhance both performance and gut microbiota in sows (Taylor et al., 2019; Rong et al., 2019). The evaluation was conducted on a commercial swine farm in Sonora, Mexico, housing 1,800 sows. A total of 565 sows, blocked by parity, and belonging to six different weekly production groups, were assigned to two dietary treatment groups: the Control group received standard gestation and lactation diets, while those in the Bentonite group were fed similar diets supplemented with 2.0 kg/metric ton of Bentonite. The trial commenced at insemination and continued until weaning. Statistical analyses were conducted using a completely randomized design, with individual sows as the experimental units. The analysis accounted for the effect of parity (block). Differences were evaluated using Student's t-test and Dunnett's test for least squares means, with significance set at P < 0.05 and trends at P < 0.10 (JMP 18.1.0). Results (table 1) showed that sows in the Bentonite group exhibited a numerical increase in total born and born alive, with significant improvements noted in parity 1 sows: +1.37 (P = 0.0188) for total born and +1.55 piglets (P = 0.01) for born alive. Additionally, sows in the Bentonite group that started lactation with ≥13 piglets had lower (P=0.02) pre-weaning mortality by 2.25 percentual units compared to the Control group. This effect was even more pronounced in gilts (parity 1), where piglet mortality decreased by 4.4 percentage points (58% reduction; P< 0.05) compared to Control gilts. Under the conditions of this field evaluation, the addition of this Bentonite was associated with improved litter size and reduced mortality rates in sows starting lactation with ≥13 piglets, suggesting its potential as a valuable tool for enhancing sow performance.
