Figure 2 - Performance of piglets receiving two sources and levels of dietary copper.


Weight Gain (kg) P<0.05


13.0 13.5 14.0 14.5 15.0 15.5 16.0 16.5


16.15b


Feed to Gain Ratio (kg) P<0.05


13% 14.32a


1.46 1.48 1.50 1.52 1.54 1.56 1.58 1.60


CuSO4 (125 ppm)


Cu-MHAC (80 ppm)


1.58b


5%


1.50a


CuSO4 (125 ppm)


Cu-MHAC (80 ppm)


depression. Research trials demonstrate that the use of Cu- MHAC promotes piglet growth by improving body weight gain and feed efficiency. A trial involved 80 weaned piglets and 2 treatments (with 10 replicates and 4 piglets per pen): a control diet containing 125 ppm copper as CuSO4


and 80 ppm


copper as Cu-MHAC. Cu-MHAC outperformed CuSO4


resulting in higher body


weight gain and improved feed to gain ratio (Figure 2). Such results fit well in a published multi-trial analysis comparing CuSO4


against Cu-MHAC in piglet diets. Based on


the data it was concluded that Cu-MHAC is more effective than CuSO4


in improving growth performance parameters.


Moreover, studies demonstrate that Cu-MHAC may increase lipase activity, serum concentration of growth hormone, and greater release of ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Thus, there is strong evidence for the improvement of performance in systemic mechanisms beyond the well-documented antibacterial effect of copper in the gut.


Maximise overall and gut health During post-weaning, the piglet gut is exposed to several challenges causing poor nutrient absorption. Post-weaning diarrhoea has become a very important topic in the EU with stricter rules regarding the use of copper in weaner feeds. Permitted copper levels in complete feed are down to 150 mg/kg (up to four weeks post-weaning) and to 100 mg/kg (at five to eight weeks post-weaning). Providing a highly bioavailable source of copper to piglets can minimise enteric symptoms, requiring lower levels of copper. Research trials show that Cu-MHAC optimises gut and overall health by reducing diarrhoea rates, reducing cop- per excretion in the faeces and providing more plasma cop- per to improve immune response in piglets. In an experiment, 108 weaned piglets were allotted to three treatments (with 6 replicates and 6 pigs per pen): a negative control diet, CuSO4


supplemented at 250 ppm of copper and


 


10 12


2 4 6 8


0 NC 250 CuSO4  


Cu-MHAC at 50 ppm of copper. Cu-MHAC supplementation re- duced diarrhoea rate compared to the negative control group and it resulted as much effective to reduce diarrhoea at 50 ppm of copper than 250 ppm of copper as CuSO4


(Figure 3).


Less mineral excretion to the environment Reducing the mineral excretion from farm animals is increas- ingly important due to environmental concerns. Inorganic trace minerals like oxides, chlorides and sulphates have been widely used in nursery piglets. However, the bioavailability is poor compared to Cu-MHAC. High inorganic supplementation does not maximise copper uptake and can result in continued metabolic deficiencies and unlike Cu-MHAC, studies show that much of the inorganic copper fed is excreted in the manure, thus contributing to the accumulation in soil, ground and surface waters.


References are available on request ▶ WEANING | JUNE 2020 15 a b


b


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