The effect of L-carnitine supplementation during gestation and lactation on the performance parameters of sows was studied. The trial comprised a total of 73 sows that were divided into the control and treated groups; each was fed diets with and without supplemental L-carnitine during pregnancy (0 vs. 125 mg L-carnitine daily/sow) and lactation (0 vs. 250 mg L-carnitine daily/sow). L-carnitine supplementation resulted in the numerical increase of sow body weight at weaning (215.2±5.4 vs. 205.0±5.0, LSM±Se, p≥0.05), with a significantly expressed effect on sows born in 1998 (227.1±8.4 vs. 193.6±9.2, LSM±Se, p=0.01). There was a numerical increase in average number of total born and viable piglets per litter in treated sows (11.0±2.0 vs. 10.7±1.9, LSM±Se, p≥0.05; 10.8±2.1 vs. 10.4±1.9, LSM±Se, p≥0.05 respectively), although the tendency towards increasing the same parameters was determined in sows born in 1998 (11.00±0.54 vs. 9.82±0.59, LSM±Se, p=0.14; 10.9±0.6 vs. 9.5±0.6, LSM±Se, p=0.09). The total number of piglets which were smaller than 800g at birth tended to be lower (0.9±1.2 vs. 1.4±1.6, LSM±Se, p=0.08) and significantly different in sows born in 1998 (0.9±0.4 vs. 2.5±0.4, LSM±Se, p=0.01). The number of piglets fit for rearing was influenced by L-carnitine supplementation only in the sows born in 1998 (10.8±0.5 vs. 9.1±0.6, LSM±Se, p=0.03). The litter weight was not influenced by L-carnitine supplementation.
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