FEED FOR THOUGHT ▶▶▶
Transition weaning diets T
he various stressors piglets are exposed to at weaning in combination with the impaired gut and immune function make newly weaned pig- lets extremely vulnerable to post-weaning diseases. Low feed intake during the immediate post-weaning period is one of the stressors pig-
lets are exposed to. One way to reduce the drop in feed intake is by habituating piglets to solid feed before weaning. In that respect a transition diet may be advised that connects the pre- and post-weaning period more closely. In 2018, a team around Pil Seung Heo, Seoul National University, South Korea, performed a trial in which piglets were given either creep feed, a weaner diet or a sow diet pre-weaning, but post-weaning they all received the weaner diet that some litters had already received pre-weaning. The results showed that lit- ters that received creep feed pre-weaning had the highest total feed intake pre-weaning. In the first two weeks post-weaning, however, piglets that were fed the weaner diet pre- and post-weaning had a higher post-weaning feed in- take than the other two groups and a higher post-weaning body weight gain than the creep feed group. These results may suggest that the similarity between the pre- and post-weaning diet composition is more important for post-weaning performance than the abso- lute intake level of solid feed pre-weaning. It is therefore considered important to provide the same diet pre-weaning and during the initial post-weaning period, for piglets to recognise the post-weaning diet behaviourally as well as physiologically. However, whether this transition diet should focus on achieving high energy in- takes or supporting gut health and development remains a point of discussion. Towards weaning at three to four weeks of age, the milk production of the sow decreases in the last week of lactation, while piglets increase the consumption of solid feed. In current pig farming conditions, feed intake pre-weaning is highly variable between litters and can be around 250–300g per piglet weaned at four weeks of age. The strategy would be to reach a pre-weaning feed consump- tion of around 400–450g per piglet in order to ensure that when piglets are weaned, they are familiar with solid feed and have a higher post-weaning feed intake. Milk is mainly an energy supply and is poor in protein and amino acids. To mimic sow milk, creep feed is often nutrient-dense and formulated with expensive and highly digestible ingredients. Nevertheless, with current weaning ages, creep feeding may only slightly improve pre-weaning piglet growth. Besides, when piglets are fed highly digestible creep feed, it is not clear whether they can adjust to the grain- based feed after weaning without gastrointestinal disturbance. In addi- tion, it could be speculated that the nutrient density of the pre-weaning diet should not be too dense, as a nutrient-dense diet is likely to result in gastrointestinal problems or can lead to a prolonged feeling of satiety as seen in weaned piglets. In that respect, the transition diet should be formulated to comple- ment sow milk intake and stimulate gut development rather than to mimic its composition to achieve high energy intakes.
Francesc Molist
holds a PhD in animal nutrition from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain. He has been working for Schothorst Feed Research in the Neth- erlands since 2011, most recently as manager re- search & development.
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