Investigation of supplementation with a combination of fermented bean dregs and wheat bran for improving the growth performance of the sow

To investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with a fermented mixture of bean dregs and wheat bran (FBW) on sow performance. FBW was given to sows during late gestation and lactation; in total, 24 sows were randomly assigned to 4 groups (control diet; 3% FBW diet; 6% FBW diet; 9% FBW diet, n=6). The weight ratio of bean dregs (wet) to wheat bran was 4:6. Sows were fed different diets from 85 d of gestation until weaning. The results showed that supplementation with FBW increased average daily feed intake (ADFI) during lactation (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05). FBW supplementation also increased litter weight and milk yield (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05). The contents of <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> in the feces of the treatment groups were significantly reduced by FBW supplementation (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01). FBW supplementation significantly improved the fecal morphology (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.05), alleviating sows' constipation. In conclusion, FBW could increase the ADFI, improve lactation and piglet litter weight in sows and reduce the pathogenic bacterial content in sow feces and constipation.