Keeping piglets healthy from birth to weaning is always a big challenge, affecting performance and health at later stages.

Improvements in livestock technology, housing, nutrition and management help reduce risks in the swine industry. Photo: Pigprogress

According to swine industry experts, the sudden change in the diet and care of piglets at weaning puts a burden on the animals' immature digestive systems. This leads to a disordered immune system and microbiome, and an increased likelihood of disease.

The reason is that piglets have been subjected to stress since birth, a time that is considered fraught with risks, as it encounters a number of potentially disease-causing obstacles to the immature immune system, when they need it. efficiently digest and absorb nutrients to maintain growth.

Therefore, it is of paramount importance to protect the proper functioning of the intestinal epithelial cells as this organ is responsible for the absorption of water, electrolytes and nutrients.

In addition, breeders do not forget that beneficial microflora must establish itself as soon as possible to ensure smooth intestinal functioning. Once piglets can overcome these obstacles, which are considered major stressors, getting to the weaning stage will no longer be a challenge.

The sudden change in diet at weaning puts a heavy burden on the piglet's immature digestive system. The gastrointestinal tract is affected by alterations in the microbiome, mechanical damage, and inflammation in response to the stresses (new environmental changes, nutrition, movement) of weaning. These effects can be exacerbated by the immature immune system, which cannot respond well to pathogens, leading to illness. The consequences are impaired immune and intestinal function, leading to diarrhea and even death, which must be avoided.

Let's start with the sow

It is not surprising that a healthy sow often produces healthier piglets. In addition, piglets are born with an immature immune system, lacking self-protective immune antibodies, so this protein of the sow needs to be supplied through colostrum, which is produced in the first 24 hours after birth. farrowing and through suckling of piglets.

The piglet's intestinal barrier is permeable to those immune defenses during the first 24-36 hours of life, allowing immune antibodies to enter the bloodstream to protect the piglet's intestinal lining. It is clear that colostrum and milk quality are important for piglet survival. By improving the immune status of the sow, the quality of the colostrum is enhanced, as the transfer of antibody-producing immune cells from the blood circulation into the milk is common in sows.

Next, it is necessary to apply a vaccination program against common diseases during pregnancy and lactation. The sow's immune system can be optimized using feed solutions. The beneficial effects of beta-glucans in sow diets have long been known. But recently, a new, effective source of beta-glucans was discovered from an algae, called Euglena gracilis, which provides linear beta-(1,3)-glucan, which has been shown to improve milk quality. immature in sows.

A healthy sow with a balanced microbiome can provide a large amount of active microbiome for her litter. The key, therefore, is the management of the sow's gut microbiota to establish and maintain a positive microbiome as early as possible during piglet rearing...

Things to do for piglets after weaning

Livestock production shows that weaning piglets are very susceptible to intestinal and immune dysfunction that can lead to reduced health and performance, increasing antibiotic consumption.

Determining the cause and the target approach (nutrition) is very important for healthy pig production. One big advantage of weaning: piglets are fed solid pellets, fortified with health-promoting ingredients. However, intestinal integrity can be severely compromised at weaning, so the addition of ingredients that support the intestinal lining such as butyric acid should be considered. Once protein is not digested in the intestines can lead to microbial growth and then lead to diarrhea…

For healthy piglets, a good start is truly “half the battle”, starting with proper sow management and implementing a piglet support strategy, while also anticipating all possible problems. stressors in the life cycle of livestock.