PARTNER FEATURE ▶▶▶
Tackling weaning stress with nutrition
No doubt, the presence of Escherichia coli bacteria is an important cause of post-weaning diarrhoea, but it is not the only factor by far. Bearing in mind that many factors can contribute to post-weaning diarrhoea, a multifactorial approach should be able to tackle quite a few. Exactly how far can nutritional solutions go to provide a solution?
BY DR ELLEN HAMBRECHT, SELKO FEED ADDITIVES AND DR RUBEN DECALUWE, TROUW NUTRITION
Weaning is a stressful event and stress is known to weaken the immune system response.
T
he post-weaning syndrome associated with entero- toxigenic E. coli remains one of the most economi- cally important and complex challenges in today’s global pig industry. During the first two to three
weeks post-weaning, piglets lose the passive immune protec- tion provided through sow milk and may suffer from diar- rhoea, oedema or sudden death. Surviving piglets often show signs of retarded growth and are unable to achieve their lean growth potential. Compromised performance may continue until slaughter.
Post-weaning diarrhoea in pigs involves many factors and cannot be solely attributed to the presence of E. coli. To allow the pathogens’ proliferation there must be certain predis- posing factors: Genetic predisposition, weaning age and housing conditions are some factors that play a role, along with an abrupt nutritional change that is inextricably linked to weaning. A drastic decrease in piglet feed intake is often an unwelcome side effect of that nutritional transition. As hunger sets in a few days after weaning, a corresponding surge in feed intake can overwhelm the piglet’s immature digestion capacity, re- sulting in an overflow of improperly digested feed compo- nents into the lower gut. This occurrence disturbs the micro- bial balance, allowing potentially harmful bacteria such as E. coli to proliferate. Meanwhile, the piglet’s still-developing im- mune system is poorly equipped to manage the pathogen pressure. Below, four dietary strategies are considered to help support pigs in the transitory weaning phase.
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Continuous feed intake Growth and performance require that piglets con- tinuously consume adequate nutrition. Research conducted by Trouw Nutrition found that orally in-
fecting piglets with E. coli only resulted in worse feed conver- sion when piglets’ feed intake dropped below a minimal threshold. Making the diet highly palatable and ensuring that there are no physical, chemical or microbiological con- taminants present is essential to sustain adequate intake. Piglets are very sensitive to taste and off-flavours in feed that may be caused by factors such as lipid oxidation or microbio- logical contamination. As well as a feed’s taste and smell, the mouthfeel of the diet will affect the piglet’s acceptance of feed. Feed processing conditions must be adapted and pre- cisely controlled, not only to maintain the nutritional quality but also to produce a soft and easily chewable feed.
Reduction of stress Managing young piglets’ suboptimal digestive ca- pacity is a major challenge. Acidification of feed and drinking water helps compensate for piglets’ insuffi-
cient gastric acid production. Those acids are needed for ade- quate digestion of protein in feed. Acidifying feed and water
PHOTO: HENK RISWICK
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