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Danish Institute of Agricultural Science, Foulum, Denmark, 2005

The effect of Progut^TM on post-weaning diarrhoea, weight gain and feed conversion in piglets at the Danish institute of Agricultural Science, Folum, Denmark, 2005.

(Karin H. Jensen, Lone Carstensen and Birthe M. Damgaard 2005¹. Unpublished.).²

Objective

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of Progut^TM on post weaning piglet performance and health. The response variables were: the susceptibility of piglets to PWD measured by an experimental E.coli challenge, weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio in group housed healthy piglets.

Materials and Methods

The study included 10 replicas of 3 individually housed sows and their litters randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups:

1. Progut for sow and piglets (PSP): adding Progut^TM to the feed of the sow and her piglets during lactation and post weaning.

2. Progut for piglets only (PP): adding Progut^TM to the piglet feed only during lactation and post weaning.

3. Control (C): no feed enhancers.

The piglets were weaned at 4 weeks of age. In the PSP group, Progut^TM was added to the sow feed (0.15%) from one week before expected farrowing and during lactation. In the PSP and PP groups, the piglets were offered weaner feed containing 0.3% Progut^TM from two weeks of age until two weeks post weaning, and a starter feed containing 0.2% Progut^TM from two weeks post weaning until five weeks post weaning. Treatment group C was subject to the same feeding regime minus the addition of Progut^TM.

Two piglets from each litter were individually housed after weaning. One of the piglets per litter was challenged on days 1, 2 and 3 after weaning with 10⁸ cfu E.coli 0149:F4zc, STb, LT, EAST1 suspended in 20ml sodium chloride. The E.coli challenges were given via an orogastric tube. The other piglet per litter was given a placebo treatment, the 2 x 20ml NaHCO3. Faecal samples were collected from the piglets once daily from weaning until day 6 after weaning. Faecal samples were scored for consistency and an analysis was made in order to measure the dry matter content and quantitive faecal shedding of haemolytic E.coli bacteria.

Three piglets per litter were group housed and performance and diarrhoea were monitored from weaning until five weeks after weaning. Body weight, feed and water consumption were collected on days 0,2,4,7,14,21,28 and 35 after weaning. Clinical diarrhoea scorings were performed daily from 1-7 days after weaning and on days 14, 21, 28 and 35 after weaning. The daily occurance of diarrhoea during days 1-6 in E.coli challenged/control pigs was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. The treatement effects on performance were statistically analysed using analysis of variance with the restricted Maximum Likelihood method.

Results

The addition of Progut^TM to the feed significantly lowered the diarrhoea scores (F_2.17=9.16; P<0.01) on days 2-6 after weaning compared to control piglets. The effect was evident in both control piglets and in E.coli challenged piglets, indicating that Progut^TM reduced naturally occuring as well as experimental induced diarrhoea. The piglets that had diarrhoea scores over 3 were regarded as having clinical diarrhoea. These piglets were given an index 1 and healthy piglets were given an index 0. When calculating an average for diarrhoea days in different treatment a significant reduction of diarrhoea days can be seen in Progut^TM groups compared to the control group. Piglets in the PSP group had only 1/3 the risk of post weaning diarrhoea compared to control piglets. In the PP group, the risk of post weaning diarrhoea was only 1/4 the risk of PWD in control piglets.

GRAPH: AVERAGE DIARRHOEA SCORES

The addition of Progut^TM did not influence daily weight gain nor feed intake in group housed healthy piglets not experiencing post weaning diarrhoea. However, feed conversion ratio differed between treatment groups (F2.16=2.85, P=0.0874) being significantly lower in sows and piglets administered Progut^TM compared to control (P<0.02). Treatment groups had no statistically significant effect on water consumption, but the water consumption in the PSP group was lower in the first two weeks post weaning and higher in week 3 to 5 post weaning than in the PP group (P=0.0349 and P=0.061).

THE EFFECT OF TREATMENT GROUPS (MEAN) ON PERFORMANCE PRESENTED IN THE FIRST 5 WEEKS AFTER WEANING (a,b means with different superscripts within row differ significantly P<0.02)

In this trial no differences in the colostrum IgA content between ProgutTM fed sows and control sows were seen. This is contradictory to earlier tials (Rautonen N. et al 2004, unpublished), in which ProgutTM fed to sows one week pre-farrowing incraesed colostrum IgA content. In this trial ProgutTM slightly increased the IgA content of 2 day old serum (Rautonen et al. 2005. unpublished). In addition it seems that ProgutTM improved the absorbtion of IgA from the colostrum.

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN COLOSTRUM AND 2 DAY-OLD PIGLET SERUM IGA CONTENT

Conclusions

The study showed that: 

- Adding Progut^TM to feed for sows and piglets or for piglets reduced the risk of diarrhoea, without affecting daily weight gain, feed intake or water consumption during the first five weeks post weaning.

- Progut^TM for piglets only was more potent in reducing diarrhoea.

- Progut^TM for sows and piglets improved feed conversion during the first five weeks post weaning.

- Progut^TM for piglets only tended to improve feed conversion during the first five weeks post weaning.

- Progut^TM seemed to improve absorption of IgA from the colostrum.

¹ Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Dept. of Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition, P.O. Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark. Modified from the original report by Juhani Vuorenmaa.