Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 2 March 2021

ARTICLE 76 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2021 Dr. Stephanie Ladirat R&D Director NUQO Feed Additives N owadays, piglets are weaned and exposed to solid feed at an early age with the objective of increasing the number of litters and the productivity. However, early weaning is often associated with high stress and it may result in lower growth, intestinal disorders and other stress demonstrations. Two of the major challenges faced by piglets at wean- ing are the separation from the sow and the change from liquid to solid 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 experience 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 heteroge- neous 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 it also depletes the gut of nutrients at a time when its development is key. When the gut development is impaired, the absorption of nutrients is sub-optimal and weaned piglets are more susceptible to diseases, such as diarrhoea. To sum up in a nutshell, when piglets are stressed after weaning, their feed consumption is reduced, which leads to a slower gut maturation, and there- fore 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 AND PERFORMANCE 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, stimu- late the number of piglets consuming the feed, and enhance its consumption level to create more robust piglets. Fortunately, pigs are opportunistic and om- nivorous feeders and known to consume an extensive variety of food. They also likely have a high number of taste buds among mammals, only second to big ruminants (and perhaps rabbits) (Chamorro et al., 1993). This creates opportunities to develop solu- tions that positively stimulate the appetite of piglets and help overcome the stress created around weaning. New concepts have recently emerged to secure feed intake, reduce health challenges and improve the well-being of animals. These concepts are based on NEWTECHNOLOGIES TO BOOST FEED INTAKE AND PERFORMANCE OF YOUNG PIGS Reducing post-weaning stress at the farm can lead to higher product quality, less losses and ultimately higher productivity. This article introduces promising strategies to reduce stress and health challenges while improving performance of piglets. The author emphasizes the interest of new technologies, and the benefits for animals, farmers and customers.