One solution for this is feeding milk. Feeding extra milk is a very logical step to take, based upon natural and high quality nutrients. Milk is a product that is highly palatable and can therefore be the first step for a piglet to start eating anything other than sows milk from a teat. Milk can be given manually, a few times per day. Automatic systems are also available, but regardless of whether this is administered manually or auto- matically, hygiene is an important factor. In practice farmers are often put off by the costs of feeding milk. Indeed, milk ingredients, for example, skimmed milk powder and whey protein concentrates, as well as high quality refined oils, are more expensive than the average feed ingredi- ent, like cereals. However this initial investment will improve technical performance throughout the pigs life. Looking at data where pigs of a lower or higher (approximately 7 kg compared to 8 kg) weaning weight are followed until slaughter, growth differences of over 30 grammes per pig per day can be reached. Calculating this effect back to euros, an approximate difference of €2.60 can be made. Of course this is highly dependent on actual market prices and very specific per country, but still it shows that there is quite some financial room to invest in early feed intake. Especially since the intake per pig in the farrowing unit is low in volume.


Two stage feeding strategy While keeping an eye on the costs, Nukamel has developed a feeding strategy named Porcomel that is both economically interesting and nutritionally balanced. To start with, the piglet is offered a milk that is high in dairy protein and fat, which combines highly digestible proteins, such as casein and whey. Here, low-heat and fresh milk ingredients are selected in order to assure the intactness, digestibility and potential bioactivity of the proteins. As an energy source, short-to-medium-chain fatty acids, originating from the milk fat as well as from added refined coconut oil are applied, having additional benefits on antimicrobial action. All of these ingredients are in a higher cost-range, but without a doubt are required to give the new- borns a good start. A balanced development of the gut, its digestive capacity, its microflora, while retaining the integrity is crucial to lowering mortality rates and obtaining optimal growth from the beginning. After approximately 10 days the piglets switch over to a transi- tion-product based upon the combination of dairy and vegeta- ble ingredients. Ingredients like rice and wheat concentrate gradually help the piglet learn how to digest vegetable compo- nents. In the selection of these ingredients it is vital to take into account that abrupt changes are unwanted. A transit product means a gradual change is made from solely milk to the inclu- sion of strictly selected vegetable ingredients. In this context, origin, particle size, absence of anti-nutritional factors, solubil- ity and consistency, among other things are all taken into account. These factors assure that gut integrity is maintained at all times. The strength of this two-fold concept is a top-notch product at the start, combined with a ‘learn-to-eat and digest’-stimulating product to aid the weaning process. The concept thus involves keeping some crucial parameters constant, like tastiness, recog- nisability, gut health improving micro- and macrocomponents, to ensure a good intake. The digestive tract of the pig will start


to develop the proper enzymes and the intestinal flora will shift gradually. Besides that, these components can make the prod- uct more economically viable for the farmer thus leading to a more profitable product.


The benefits of dairy in dry feed Raising a pig on milk or fluids only, doesn’t teach him to start eating dry feed. It is not only the composition or the taste the piglet has to get used to, but also the physical fact that it’s a dry, mostly pelleted product. Palatability can help a great deal in starting to eat dry feed, therefore it is very interesting to use high amounts of dairy in the creep feed. This way the piglet can recognise the smell and taste. Secondly the digestive tract can gradually get used to vegetable components. Thirdly, dairy components do not only include highly digestible protein and fat, but exactly the right nutrients. The range of amino acids that are available in dairy are matching with the needs of a pig- let. One of the products advised to use in creep feeds is Nukamix 30, which is based on well-selected ultrafiltrated whey protein concentrate (WPC). WPC has a high biological value because the proteins are easy to digest. Nukamel has a long experience in selecting WPC of different origins and pro- cessing methods. Therefore only WPC’s are selected with a guaranteed level of immunoglobulins. It can be concluded that including dairy in a creep feed does not only add protein, fat and lactose, but offers many additional benefits to the animals.


Table 1 – Influence of birthweight and weaning weight on pig growth.


Birthweight Birthweight (kg)


Growth rearing period (g/d) Weaning weight (kg)


Growth finishing pigs (g/d) Age at slaughter


Feed conversion finishers Energy (EW) conversion


Source: Peet-Schwering, Wageningen University, 2013


Low 1.18 432 7.1


824 179 2.37 2.60


High 1.66 459 8.1


856 172 2.31 2.54


Table 2 – Eating patterns of piglets from birth through weaning.


Number of piglets


Weight: Birth (g)


Weaning (kg) 4 weeks Day 35 after weaning (kg)


Growth after weaning (g/d) Week 1 Week 2


Week 3-5 Week 1-5


Source: Peet-Schwering, Wageningen University, 2014 PIGLETS - JULY/AUGUST 2016 11


Eater 194


1.346 7.9


23.8


198 287 571 456


Non-eater 124


1.343 7.9


22.0


133 232 519 404


PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK | VALENTYN VOLKOV


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44