Weaning is one of the critical points in pig production. At this stage, piglets face various challenges, such as early weaning, social stress, adaptation to the new location, and the change to a solid diet. This affects intestinal welfare, causes dysbiosis and produces diarrhea and significant performance losses.

The use of zinc oxide for the control of post-weaning diarrhea is widely spread. In search of sustainable production in environmental terms, zinc oxide has already been banned in Europe and its use is gradually being limited in the rest of the world.

It is key to maintain the intestinal welfare with natural solutions that do not generate a negative impact on the environment or the animal itself.

Below, a test carried out with intestinal conditioner pronutrients is presented. It is a solution based on active molecules of botanical origin, capable of improving the integrity of the intestinal epithelium, feed digestibility, nutrient absorption and promoting the balance of the microbiota.

Objective

To evaluate the effect of intestinal conditioner pronutrients on piglet performance compared to zinc oxide (ZnO).

Material and methods

A total of 441 piglets were used to evaluat their productive performance from the moment of weaning, at 28 days of age. The animals were divided into the following experimental groups:

• ZnO group (196): standard diet + zinc oxide at a dose of 3 kg/t continuously. The concentration of zinc oxide used was 2500 ppm. Treatment duration 58 days.
• Pronutrients group (245 piglets): standard diet + intestinal conditioner pronutrients administered continuously at a dose of 0.5 kg/t. Duration of treatment 56 days.

Results

The final weight of the animals supplemented with pronutrients was 35.1 kg on day 56, while in the ZnO group a final weight of 29.67 kg was obtained, which means that pronutrients improved weight by 18.3% compared to ZnO.

Regarding the average daily gain (ADG), the group that received intestinal conditioner pronutrients achieved an average of 92 more grams per piglet a day. A 4% reduction in the feed conversion ratio (FCR) (kg feed consumed/kg live piglet) was also observed in this batch, which indicates better feed efficiency.

Regarding the mortality, a 74% lower value was observed in the intestinal conditioner pronutrient group compared to the ZnO group. The causes of death were related to respiratory problems, emaciation, and pericarditis. At the same time, no signs consistent with enteric disorders were observed in either group, indicating that both treatments were effective in controlling post-weaning diarrhea.

Conclusion

The use of intestinal conditioner pronutrients translates into a better intestinal welfare of the piglets; at the same time, they promote a better gut development and prevent diarrhea.

The use of this natural solution composed of active molecules of botanical origin allows, compared to zinc oxide, to improve the final weight of the piglets by 18.3% and, at the same time, to reduce the percentage of mortality by 74% during the post-weaning period.

Intestinal conditioner pronutrients are a tool that is positioned as an effective replacement for zinc oxide during the post-weaning period. In addition, they have the added value that they do not leave residues in animals, do not create resistance, and have no impact on the environment.

The intestinal conditioner pronutrients are marketed by Biovet S.A under the name of Alquernat Nebsui by Biovet S.A.