ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2023 51 Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is a widespread and worldwide disease with high morbidity. The associated productivity losses and mortality cause large economic losses for pig producers. The most common cause of PWD is by piglets ingesting ETEC from the environment (maternal and/or nursery room). However, PWD is considered a multifactorial disease. Many predisposing factors (e.g., genetics, weaning age) and other contributing factors associated with husbandry practices (Jayaraman and Nyachoti, 2017) as shown in Figure 1 are strongly related with GIT disturbances and contribute to PWD incidence. PIGLET HUSBANDRY PRACTICES AFFECTING GASTROINTESTINAL FUNCTIONALITY 1. Diet composition The quantity and quality of proteins and fiber included in the diet during the post-weaning phase have an important impact on the gastrointestinal functionality of piglets. Indigestible dietary protein that enters the large intestine is then available for microbial fermentation. The pH of the gut can rise due to the high buffering capacity of protein. These environmental changes within the GIT can favor the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria (ETEC), and the production of potentially toxic compounds such as ammonia and amines, which have been implicated in PWD (Pluske et al., 2022). Soybean is the most common protein source used in pig diets, but it is often not produced locally to the pig unit, resulting in a high contribution to the carbon footprint of the production system. In the move towards more sustainable pork production, producers are choosing to incorporate more locally sourced protein sources such as rapeseed meal or sunflower seed meal in piglet diets. However, these Figure 1. Piglet husbandry factors contributing to post-weaning diarrhea (Source: dsm-firmenich, 2023)
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