Get the 8-minute extraction on how maternal feeding influences piglet health from Pia Sørensen, Nutrition Development Director. The video is a summary of the presentation Pia Sørensen did for our R&D-company, Fermentationexperts at zero zinc summit 2022.
HOW TO WEAN PIGLETS WITHOUT MEDICINAL ZINC?
That was the million-dollar question at the ZeroZincSummit 2022 in Copenhagen on the 22nd and 23rd of June, where industry experts meet to share knowledge and solutions on nutrition, feeding, immunity management and management procedures.
We were invited to speak about the influence of maternal feeding on piglet health.
Mothers highly influence the overall health of their offspring starting from insemination, which is why a feeding strategy for healthier piglets should always start with the sow.
In European Protein, we have translated our research in maternal feeding into a concept called “The First 175 Days”. The first day starts with the insemination of the sow and the final day is when leaving the climate section.
Through the right combination of sow feed, you can:
- wean more piglets
- wean more vital piglets
- increase the average weight at weaning by more than 0.5 kilos
If you missed out on Pias’ presentation, we have recorded it for you. The video takes eight minutes and goes through the key points.
Pia is presenting on behalf of our R&D company Fermentationexperts.
Overall takeaways from the ZeroZincSummit 2022:
- Research:
More research on the good properties of fibre for piglets around weaning is on the way – but research has already shown fibre-rich products to be more efficient for zinc-free weaning. One of the first large-scale trials was conducted by the University of Copenhagen, where the fibre-rich rapeseed EP100i was added to the weaning diet. Read more about the results here. - Age:
The older the pig, the easier they are to wean. At the same time, keep the spread in the age of the pigs to a minimum. Early weaned pigs have greater needs, and in case of a large spread in age, they require different handling as they have different needs. - Feed:
The more feed the piglets eat before weaning, the easier it is to get them started. The piglets will recognise the feed from before weaning and actively seek feed. Age, feed intake, and digestion are all related. If you want to know more about the management of piglets, you can download our guide.
