Understanding the causes of diarrhea in piglets after Weaning Diarrhea in piglets during weaning is mainly caused by several interrelated factors. One of the main factors is the sudden change in diet when piglets switch from sow’s milk to solid feed. This change can disrupt the intestinal microbiota, leading to digestive disorders and diarrhea (Pluske, …
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Piglet crushing, a major contributor to pre-weaning Mortality of piglets Pre-weaning period is a critical phase in swine production, which lasts from farrowing up to the weaning of piglets. During this period, piglets’ mortality rate is at its highest, around 12% (Jarvis et al., 2023). Piglet mortality is a major challenge in swine production, seriously …
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The impact of gut health on Performances Sow’s performances depend on many parameters such as gut health: microbiota balance and gut integrity. The intestinal microbiota refers to the microorganisms (including 70-80% of bacteria) that are living in the gastrointestinal tract. It is considered as an organ itself and recent studies show that a balanced microbiota …
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Steroidal saponins, molecules contained in fenugreek cotyledons which enable to Stimulate appetite Nutritional management of sow from the gestation to the end of lactation is critical for achieving and maintaining optimal sow productivity, longevity and litter growth. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual plant that belongs to the Fabaceae family which possess steroidal saponins. These …
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The imbalance between lactation capacity and Sow prolificacy In the last 15 years, sow’s prolificacy has increased by 4.5 piglets per litter (Culbertson, 2019). To support this trend, colostrum average yield has increased with the born piglets’ number. When comparing a small litter of 10 piglets with a large litter of 20 piglets, the colostrum …
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The risk of oxidative stress for high prolific sows and the impact on the Litter livability High prolific sows have high energy needs to cover the fetal development during late gestation, but also to ensure a right lactation performance. The animals endure a stronger metabolic activity which generates intense free radical production. This is the …
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How consumers perceive Meat quality Meat quality is a multidimensional and difficult concept. Amongst consumers, « quality » is first perceived in the place of purchase through several criteria. These criterias may be intrinsic (physical aspect) or extrinsic (price, brand, packaging, etc.) and they are determinant in the meat product choice. Amongst these criteria, the …
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A risk factor for sow breeding: Constipation Constipation affects between 20 and 30% of sows in intensive breeding. It is a risk factor for urinary tract infections, cystitis and pyelonephritis and can also cause dehydration and atrophy of intestinal villi, which in turn may facilitate bacterial, viral and parasitic infections (Ramonet et al., 2017). The …
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The negative effects of coccidiosis on Gut Health Health in general and gut health more specifically, are important pillars of animal welfare. Gut health can be negatively affected in broiler chickens by coccidiosis. To limit the effect of this disease, coccidiostats have been used with success for decades. However, resistance is a side effect of …
