Observations of untamed pigs counsel that the significance of dietary fiber and its bodily kind could be neglected in feeding younger piglets earlier than weaning.
Goal: This examine checked out how providing grass hay to suckling piglets both by itself or blended into their creep feed impacts their progress and intestine improvement. It additionally explored how persevering with to feed grass pellets after weaning influences these outcomes.
Strategies: Thirty-six litters, every with about 14 to fifteen piglets, had been divided into three teams throughout the suckling interval. One group (management) received common creep feed solely. The second group was given chopped grass hay individually together with the common creep feed. The third group had their creep feed modified by changing some grains with 28% grass pellets. After weaning at day 23, every litter was break up once more and fed both a nursery weight-reduction plan persevering with their pre-weaning therapy or switching diets, together with some with 13% grass pellets till day 39. Development, intestine construction, gene exercise associated to nutrient absorption and intestine barrier operate, intestine metabolites, and the bacterial populations had been measured at weaning and later levels. At every sampling level, 24 piglets had been euthanized for evaluation.
Outcomes: Simply earlier than weaning, piglets within the grass hay group ate about 7 grams of grass hay every, whereas grass pellets piglets ate about 46 grams of the modified creep feed. The grass hay piglets had heavier small intestines and colons, produced extra short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) within the higher intestine, and fewer within the colon. The grass pellets piglets had extra helpful Prevotellaceae micro organism of their cecum and colon and used power extra effectively to develop. After weaning, the grass hay group initially grew extra slowly however caught up later. Each grass hay and grass pellets diets elevated necessary intestine barrier and nutrient sensor genes by day 38 after weaning. The Prevotellaceae micro organism had been particularly ample in teams that stored consuming grass pellets after weaning. The grass hay nursery weight-reduction plan led to raised power use with out affecting ultimate physique weight, with SCFA manufacturing shifting in direction of the higher intestine.
Conclusion: Feeding fiber-rich and bodily structured diets early on helps younger piglets develop their digestive programs and prepares their intestine microbes for digesting fiber later. Maintaining fiber of their weight-reduction plan from suckling by way of nursery is helpful, although it might briefly gradual weight acquire on account of decrease feed consumption, that is balanced by later restoration and extra environment friendly power use.
Yao R, Hulshof TG, van Hees HM, Cools A, Merckx M, Maes D, Janssens GP. Grass hay mixed-in creep feed or separately-fed differentially impacts digestive improvement in pre-and post-weaning piglets. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology. 2025; 16(1): 92.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01227-4
