PIGLET HEAL ▶▶▶TH


Replacing ZnO requires a combined approach


Z BY OLGA DANSEN, FRAMELCO


inc is an essential trace element which is part of sev- eral enzymes and it is involved in many metabolic processes. For instance, zinc is involved in protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism, but it is


also important for skin and wound healing and has many bio- logical interactions with hormones such as insulin and corti- costeroids. Furthermore, zinc plays a role in water and cation balance and it’s required for the proper functioning of the im- mune system. Hence, it is important that daily zinc require- ments are met in order to avoid zinc deficiencies leading to health problems and reduced animal performance. Therapeutic high-level zinc oxide has been shown to be a very effective tool for preventing post-weaning diarrhoea in piglets. Therefore, the use of zinc oxide has increased drasti- cally all over the world. More recently we became aware of its environmental impact and the EU decided to ban medicinal use of zinc. From June 2022 zinc as a feed additive can only be supplied in the feed in quantities that meet daily require- ments. The allowed maximum level in the Commission Im- plementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1095 is currently set at 150 mg/kg of complete feed. By 2022, all EU farmers need to be ready to grow their piglets without the using medicinal levels of zinc, while maintaining animal health and performance without increasing antibiotic use. Finding a solution to replace therapeutic high-level zinc oxide is not easy and there is no solution that will work on every farm. This makes it complicated since each farmer needs to find out which solution will work on his or her farm. Furthermore, the solution must be cost-effective, which seems very difficult given the very low cost of high-level zinc oxide.


Enterotoxigenic E. coli Post-weaning diarrhoea is associated with E. coli infection, more specifically enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). Therefore, finding an alternative for medicinal levels of zinc mainly tar- gets the reduction of E. coli infection and a combination of different strategies to reduce the progression of ETEC infec- tion is advised. Perhaps one of the best documented strate- gies involves reducing dietary crude protein in the diet for weaned piglets. Undigested protein will serve as a substrate


Time is running out to find solutions that could be used to replace therapeutic, high-level zinc oxide in weaned piglets. The EU will ban the use of medicinal levels of zinc oxide in 2022. It is becoming increasingly clear that zinc oxide cannot be replaced by a single product. So a combination of strategies is needed.


for pathogenic bacteria, increasing the risk of ETEC infection. Reducing crude protein levels in pre-starter diets to a level of 16.5-17.5% is commonly used in the Netherlands as part of the strategy to replace medicinal levels of zinc oxide. Supple- menting essential amino acids to maintain the optimal dietary amino acid profile is part of this strategy. Reducing crude protein levels indirectly stimulates the gut health of piglets. Other important interventions in the strate- gy to prevent post-weaning diarrhoea include the use of easi- ly digestible nutrients, good feed hygiene, clean drinking wa- ter and stimulation of feed intake when suckling and directly after weaning. In addition, there are many options for differ- ent feed additives on the market that might be part of the strategy. These feed additives usually target reducing the growth of ETEC or killing it, improving the morphology of the epithelium in the small intestine or stimulating the proper functioning of the immune system, including prevention of excessive inflammation. It seems that no single feed additive can achieve this, so a combination of different feed additives


Table 1 – Performance results of weaned piglets receiving medicinal levels of zinc (control) or a specific blend* (treatment group). Average results of week 1-7 after weaning.


Final body weight (kg/pig)


Average daily weight gain (g/pig/day) Average feed intake (g/pig/day) FCR


Mortality (%)


* Custom blend by Framelco. Trial at InnSolPig, Belgium.


▶PIG PROGRESS | Volume 35, No. 10, 2019 31


Control Treatment 21.8


22.3


342.6 491.2


354.1 504.8


1.447 1.431 2.14


1.19


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