New strategies to improve welfare and productivity
Improving welfare and reducing stress at the farm can lead to higher product quality, less losses and ultimately higher productivity. This article introduces new strategies to reduce stress while improving performance of piglets. It emphasises the interest of new concepts, as well as the benefits for animals, farmers and customers.
BY DR STEPHANIE LADIRAT, TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR NUQO N
owadays, piglets are weaned and exposed to solid feed at an early age with the objective of increas- ing the number of litters and the productivity. However, early weaning is often associated with
high stress and it may result in lower growth, intestinal disor- ders and other stress demonstrations. Two of the major challenges faced by piglets at weaning are the separation from the sow and the change from liquid to sol- id feeding at a time when the physiology and immune system of the young animal are still under development. Because of the new environment and the new type of feeding, piglets ex- perience a lot of stress and their feed intake drops dramatically. It can then not only take days for the piglets to recover, but it might as well compromise future growth, result in heterogene- ous litter with a higher proportion of so-called ‘weak piglets’, and impair piglet’s health. Reduced feed intake, indeed, does not only limit the amount of nutrients that are ingested by the young piglets, but also depletes the gut of nutrients at a time when its development is key. When the gut development is im-
paired, the absorption of nutrients is sub-optimal and weaned piglets are more susceptible to diseases, such as diarrhoea. Additionally, stress might have various impact on the behav- iour of young piglets: it can, for instance, increase the occur- rence of damaging behaviours between pen mates, like tail biting. These are typical behaviours observed after weaning, that reflect welfare problems and their consequences on farm productivity. To sum up in a nutshell, when piglets are stressed after wean- ing, their feed consumption is reduced, which leads to a slow- er gut maturation, and therefore not only results in a delayed and heterogeneous growth but also in health challenges and welfare problems which all impact farm productivity.
Stimulating feed intake of piglets Stimulating solid feed intake in suckling piglets is important. This early feeding seems vital for a good post-weaning performance. It is therefore critical to find strategies that initiate early feed intake, stimulate the number of piglets consuming the feed, and enhance its consumption level to create more robust piglets. Fortunately, pigs are opportunistic
▶ SUSTAINABILITY AND WELFARE | OCTOBER 2020 27
Stress might have various impacts on the behaviour of young piglets.
PHOTO: NUQO
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