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Haus Düsse results: Nuklospray Yoghurt for suckling piglets |
Sloten developed a new sustainable feeding concept, Nuklospray Yoghurt, which is fed in liquid form to suckling piglets, starting the day after birth. Nuklospray Yoghurt improves the piglets’ feed intake in the first weeks of life, resulting in higher weaning weights and higher growth rates after weaning. Also, the sows lose less weight during lactation and gain more weight in the following gestation.
Life start is essential
Litter size has increased over the past decade. Such large litters put a strain on the lactating sow, leading to impaired growth rate of her offspring. Sustaining a high level of milk production requires a lot of energy. With large litters, sows are unable to nurse their litters sufficiently to reach piglets’ genetic growth potential. Large litters often contain small piglets and it is a challenge to provide these small piglets with enough nutrients to increase survival rates, and reach adequate weaning weights and growth rates after weaning.
A high feed intake of piglets in the suckling period is a key factor to obtain healthy sows and piglets.
Research at Haus Düsse, Germany
A study was performed in Germany (LZ Haus Düsse) to investigate the effects of Nuklospray Yoghurt.
The trial was conducted with 92 litters, divided into two groups: 49 litters received Nuklospray Yoghurt and in 43 litters another milk replacer was offered from day 2 after birth. The first day, 250 ml Nuklospray Yoghurt (400 g powder per litre) was provided, and 500 ml of the control milk replacer (125 g powder per litre). Nuklospray Yoghurt was given during three weeks, while the control milk replacer was fed for two weeks.
The offered amount of milk replacer during the suckling period increased up to 2.5 litres per litter per day. Piglets were subsequently offered a pre-starter in the Nuklospray litters and a commercial pre-starter in the control groups.
Table 1 shows the results of the two trial groups.
Table 1, technical results with Nuklospray Yoghurt + prestarter versus control
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Nuklospray Yoghurt
+ prestarter
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Control
Premium
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Significance
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Number of litters
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49
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43
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Mean parity of sow
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3.7
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3.8
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Birth weight piglets (kg)
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1.46
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1.42
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Number of piglets/litter at day 2
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12.5
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11.9
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Number of piglets weaned
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11.8
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11.1
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Suckling period (days)
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27.0
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27.2
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Weaning weight piglets (kg)1
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7.80
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7.72
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Weaning weight litter (kg)1
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91.7
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85.3
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*
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Milk replacer (kg/litter)
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6.2
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2.0
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*
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Prestarter (kg/litter)
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3.3
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2.8
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*
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Piglet mortality (%)
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5.3
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6.6
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ADG 1st week after weaning (g/d):
piglets from large litters (> 12 piglets)
piglets from small litters (< 11 piglets)
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177
149
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157
153
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*
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ADG in 6 weeks after weaning (g/d):
piglets weighing < 7.8 kg at weaning
piglets weighing > 7.9 kg at weaning
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452
476
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432
469
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*
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Weight loss sow (kg)
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31.1
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41.4
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*
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Weight loss sow (%)
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12.1
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16.3
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Back fat sow at partus (mm)
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24
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26
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Back fat sow at weaning (mm)
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19
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21
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¹ Weaning weights are corrected for difference in birth weight and difference in length of suckling period
Higher daily gain & improved homogeneity
The higher weaning weights and the lower mortality rate in the Nuklospray Yoghurt litters were obtained by the higher intake of milk replacer and pre-starter. Nuklospray Yoghurt initiates early feed intake, smoothens transition to the pre-starter phase, and stimulates consumption in the post weaning phase feeds as well. In larger litters (≥ 12 piglets), the average daily gain in the first week after weaning was 20 grams per day higher for piglets fed Nuklospray Yoghurt in the suckling period, compared to piglets in the control group. Piglets were also weighed at day 41 after weaning.
After weaning the piglets from the yoghurt group showed 13 grams higher growth per piglet per day, which is a significant difference. Furthermore, analysis took place between piglets that weighed less and more than 7.8 kg at weaning. When fed yoghurt in the suckling period, piglets that weighed less than 7.8 kg gained a significant 20g/d more in the first six weeks after weaning than the control piglets. For the heavier piglets the extra 7g/d growth in the first six weeks after weaning was not considered a significant difference. This implies that all piglets benefit from Nuklospray Yoghurt, however the larger litters and the smaller piglets benefit more, as shown by the higher average daily gain after weaning and improved homogeneity.
Benefits for the sows’ body weight
From Table 1 it is concluded that the lactating sows benefit from Nuklospray Yoghurt: they lose less weight during lactation.
The next cycle of the sows from this trial was also studied. In the control group, 6 sows had to be culled due to fertility problems, while only 3 sows in the Nuklospray Yoghurt groups were culled for this reason. Fertility problems (no return to heat after weaning, or failure to conceive after first service) may be caused by a too low condition score of the sows, hence by the loss in body weight during previous lactation. Litter size of the successfully mated sows was not affected by the feeding management in previous lactation.
The higher body weight loss of control sows in the previous lactation did not cause smaller litter sizes in the following gestation.
The sows in the control group lost 10.3 kg more body weight during lactation in the trial period (Table 1). Comparing the sow body weight development revealed that the control sows gained 12.8 kg between weaning the experimental litter and weaning the following litter. The sows from the Nuklospray Yoghurt group gained 14.3 kg over the same period. This means that the control sows regained 8.8 kg of the 10.3 kg lost in the previous lactation. To obtain this, the control sows needed an extra 35 kg of feed in gestation, compared to the Nuklospray Yoghurt sows.
Conclusions
- The higher feed intake of suckling piglets with Nuklospray Yoghurt coincided with less body weight loss during lactation, higher body condition score, and better fertility rates of the sows.
- The piglets that were fed Nuklospray Yoghurt during suckling gained more weight in the six weeks after weaning. Especially light piglets and piglets from large litters benefited more from Nuklospray Yoghurt. Overall, all piglets from all litters benefit from Nuklospray Yoghurt.
- The improvements in piglet and sow performance with Nuklospray Yoghurt include: a higher feed intake of suckling piglets, less piglet mortality, higher weaning weights of litters, and better fertility and condition of sows.
- Taking into account the higher feed costs, a financial benefit remains of approximately €30 per weaned litter. An additional financial benefit of €0.55 per piglet is obtained in the growing phase after weaning, due to the improved average daily gain of piglets fed Nuklospray Yoghurt in the suckling period.
Further research is needed to elucidate the effects of Nuklospray Yoghurt on the metabolism of the sow; it may be that piglets on Nuklospray Yoghurt are more vital and are therefore better able to stimulate milk yield and efficiency of milk production by the sow.
Nuklospray Yoghurt clearly improves the performance of piglets and helps the sow to raise well-performing litters and stay in good condition. This may benefit fertility and longevity of high-producing sows.
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