NUTRITION ▶▶▶
Fermented feed helps piglet through weaning period
Piglets’ gastrointestinal tracts are severely tested after weaning. A large dose of lactic acid can ameliorate the effect of a weaning dip. In this article, we present an overview of fermented piglet feed.
BY KEES VAN DOOREN G
Photo 2: Prepar- ing fermented feed can to a large extent be automated.
iving piglets fermented feed is a tried and tested method to help them get through their weaning periods in good shape. Several suppliers offer such feed.
Two options: ready-made or fermenting There are two ways to approach fermented feeding: 1. Sow farmers can buy a ready-made, liquid product. All they need to do then is keep the feed fresh.
2. The second option is a dry grain mixture that is fermented on the farm. This is then added to the ration.
Newly weaned piglets eat very little. That’s why feeding fer- mented feed is possible on both liquid and dry feed farms, even when this has to be done manually. Feeding fermented feed on farms that use liquid feed is, of course, easier, both
technically and from the perspective of the piglet. It requires less labour and the piglets do not need to switch from liquid to dry feed two weeks after weaning. There are, however, plenty of dry feed farms that give their piglets fermented feed.
Lots of lactic acid bacteria An important reason for giving piglets fermented feed while weaning is the large amount of lactic acid bacteria it contains. Lactic acid helps to reduce the stomach’s acidity. Together with gastric acid the lactic acid ensures better digestion and prevents excessive harmful e-coli and streptococcus bacteria multiplying in the large intestine. When undigested protein enters the large intestine, it creates a breeding ground for these bacteria. Every sow farmer knows the consequences: weaning diarrhoea, oedema disease caused by coli or menin- gitis caused by streptococci. In the first week after weaning, it is mostly e-coli that are to blame for trouble in the piglet barn. In the second and third weeks problems due to strepto- coccus typically occur. Another advantage of fermented feed is its taste. According to pig vet Arjan Schuttert of veterinary practice De Oosthof in the Netherlands pigs prefer acidic feed: “Commercial concentrate mix (CCM) is at the top of all pigs’ taste indexes.” Schuttert thinks that fermented pig feed has various advantages when it comes to gut health and fla- vour. Liquid feed is ideal because preparing and feeding fer- mented dry feed often requires more labour. Fermented feed is manually fed to pigs at many farms and it is advisable to do this many times a day. Automation is an option and a device made by De Heus Animal Nutrition, for example, can be linked to a piglet feeder such as the Nutrix+ from Weda, even though this is a somehat complex operation.
Investing up to € 100,000 The investment required for using fermented feed varies con- siderably. When it is delivered ready-made, there is no invest- ment. But, when farmers opt for feeding liquids to all of their sows, the investment can be as high as € 100,000. This is nev- ertheless a responsible investment, according to ForFarmers nutritionist Bram van den Oever. He says that ForFarmers has
22 ▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 28, No. 1, 2020
PHOTOS: BERT JANSEN
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