Evaluation of Ixbut (Euphorbia lancifolia) flour as a galactagogue in lactating sows

Abstract

The research was conducted in a commercial farm located in the department of Sonsonate, El Salvador, with a duration of 24 weeks (July - December 2021). The objective was to evaluate the effect of Euphorbia lancifolia (Ixbut) meal on weight gain of ixbut piglets at weaning. Two doses (0 and 35 g/day) were assigned to groups of sows from second to sixth farrowing, distributed in 10 treatments: T1: second farrowing (0 g), T2: second farrowing (35 g), T3: third farrowing (0 g), T4: third farrowing (35 g), T5: fourth farrowing (0 g), T6: fourth farrowing (35 g), T7: fifth farrowing (0 g), T8: fifth farrowing (35 g), T9: sixth farrowing (0 g) and T10: sixth farrowing (35 g). Individual piglet weights were compared between the two treatments at the end of the lactation period. Data were analyzed with Infostat® 2018 software using a univariate unbalanced nonparametric statistical design with the Kruskal-Wallis test at a significance level of 5 % (P < 0.05). An economic analysis was also performed using the partial cost methodology, in which it was determined that the treatment that produced the best net benefit was T6, which was $23.27 USD. The results under the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the treatments are significantly different, since the mean overall weight of the piglets whose mothers were given ixbut meal was 5.63 kilograms and the mean weight of the piglets that were not given ixbut meal was 5.10 kilograms, with a significance level of 5%. For the economic analysis, partial costs were made for the consumption and cost of concentrate for the piglets and the budget for the use of ixbut. It was concluded that the use of ixbut meal increases milk production since it was reflected in the weight gain of the piglets at weaning.