Program Zero ZnO
Over the past decades, therapeutic inclusion of zinc oxide in diets has been used to reduce the negative impact of the weaning process on the performance of piglets. Its effectiveness on diarrhoea reduction has led to an enormous increase in consumption of zinc oxide in pig nutrition worldwide. More and more countries around the globe are concerned about the negative impact of zinc oxide on the environment.
Next to this, the indications that zinc oxide facilitates antibiotic resistance of bacteria have led to the decision of the European Union to ban therapeutic use of zinc in piglet diets by latest June 2022.
Modify microbiome
In order for piglets to cope with the changing diets, it is important to ensure to support the microbiome development. The microbial population present in the digestive tract of young piglets is sensitive to stresses caused by for example feed changes or weaning. Bacteria are competing with each other for available space and nutrients leading to digestive disorders such and diarrhoea. Aiming for a robust and divers community is key to avoid these digestive problems. Yeast probiotic Actisaf® is known for its positive impact on piglets microbiome development. Supplementing Actisaf® to piglets leads to higher concentrations of beneficial bacteria and on top of that it leads to a more harmonious environment and lower sensitivity to stresses. As a consequence, there is lower occurrence of digestive disorders reducing the needs for any treatments with for example antibiotics.
Reduce pathogen pressure
Supplementing piglets with yeast probiotic Actisaf® helps to improve the microbiome increasing the presence of beneficial bacteria. At the same time, it is important to limit the presence of pathogens such as E. coli to prevent health problems. Our Postbiotic Safmannan® acts as a magnet to bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella spp. Due to the high concentration of MOS these bacteria adhere to Safmannan® with their mannose sensitive fimbriae preventing causing an inflammation. Once bacteria are bound to Safmannan® no further harm will be done as they are excreted in the faeces.
Ensure feed intake
One of the main troubles right after weaning is the reduced and irregular feed intake of piglets. This leads to disrupted gut development creating opportunities for potential pathogens like E. coli and Strep. suis to cause further damage. To avoid this, a high-quality diet should be fed with a close eye on protein digestibility, fibre content and feed palatability.
One of the ingredients to consider for diets just before and after weaning is Prosaf®. This pure yeast extract has a high concentration of crude protein and is highly digestible due to its small sized peptides as proven by Schothorst Feed Research. As Prosaf® is obtained by autolysis of proprietary Saccharomyces cerevisiae baker’s yeast strains, it is entirely soluble and rich in essential amino acids. The high concentration of 11% glutamic acid ensures a positive effect on feed intake around weaning.
In various trials Phileo has evaluated the impact of Prosaf® on feed intake and performance of piglets. In these trials, Prosaf® has been added to the trial diet while maintaining iso-nutrient to the control diet. Often, protein sources like soy protein concentrate, fishmeal and SDPP are reduced from the formulation when Prosaf® is being added.
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