Growth Performance, Diarrhoea Incidence, and Nutrient Digestibility in Weaned Piglets Fed an Antibiotic-Free Diet with Dehydrated Porcine Plasma or Potato Protein Concentrate

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to test if dehydrated porcine plasma (DPP) and potato protein concentrate (PPC) could be used as an alternative to antibiotics in starter diets for piglets. Experiment one was conducted to test if DPP and PPC in an antibiotic-free diet affected pig performance, and faecal consistency. Eighty-four piglets weaned at 22 days and weighing 6.9 kg were used. Piglets were fed for two weeks with one of four diets: a positive control diet with antibiotics (C+); and three other diets without antibiotics added with DPP, PPC, or DPP and PPC (DPP+PPC) to measure the average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency (FE), and incidence and severity of diarrhoea (ID and ISD respectively). In experiment two, twenty-four piglets weaned at 17 days and weighing 5.7 kg, were implanted at 21 days of age with a T-cannula at the terminal ileum to measure the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients. Piglets were fed one of four diets: a positive control diet with antibiotics (C+); a negative control diet without antibiotics (C–), and two diets without antibiotics added with DPP, or PPC. The results of experiment one showed that the DPP diet was the most consumed diet during the first week, and the ADG and FE were similar among treatments. During the second week and the total experimental period the ADFI, ADG, and FE were similar among diets. The ID was lower in the C+ diet than other diets. The ISD was lower in the C+ diet than DPP and DPP+PPC diets; piglets fed PPC diet were similar to piglets fed C+ and DPP and DPP+PPC diets. The results of digestibility showed that crude protein AID was higher in piglets fed C+ and PPC diets than C– and DPP diets. Dry matter ATTD and energy ATTD were higher for piglets fed PPC than other diets. Further, crude protein ATTD of DPP and PPC diets tended to have a similar digestibility to that of C+ diet. The results suggest that PPC is a potential controller of post-weaning diarrhoea.

Principales aportes de la investigación del INIFAP a la nutrición porcina en México: retos y perspectivas

“…La suplementación con Saccharomyces (S.) cerevisiae y S. boulardii mejoró la altura de las vellosidades y redujo las concentraciones de citosinas pro-inflamatorias en el epitelio intestinal; el control de la inflamación intestinal y la preservación de la mucosa fue más efectiva con el uso de S. boulardii en lechones al destete (52,78) . También el uso de concentrado de proteína de papa en lechones que consumieron dietas desprovistas de antibióticos, logró disminuir la severidad de las diarreas y se mantuvieron parámetros productivos comparados con lechones que recibieron alimentos adicionados con antibióticos (79) .…”

“…Sin embargo, su uso como promotores del crecimiento ha sido prohibido, ya que favorece la presencia de bacterias resistentes a los antibióticos. Por lo que es necesario tener alternativas a su uso en la fase de destete cuando los animales son más susceptibles (79) .…”

Use of millet grain in weaning pigs diet: effects on performance and health status

“…Indoor pig production systems present social, environmental, and nutritional challenges particularly in the weaning period with essential repercussions on animals' metabolism (Sugiharto et al, 2014;Hăbeanu et al, 2017;Reis de Souza et al, 2019). Moreover, weaning stress as a systemic response can decrease feed ingestion, nutrient absorption, alters the performances and increased piglets susceptibility to diseases (Hăbeanu et al, 2015;Luo et al, 2016).…”