In various trials we have compared 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.
A synthesis of trials conducted under comparable conditions demonstrates that the use of Prosaf^® in piglets diets indeed has a beneficial impact on feed intake (figure 1). On top of that, it shows that growth performance is increased as well as feed efficiency.

Fig. 1 Inclusion of Prosaf® in piglets diets around weaning has a positive effect on feed intake, daily gain and feed efficiency.

Improving microbiome

n 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. Probiotic yeast 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 (figure 2).

Fig. 2 Supplementing piglets with probiotic yeast Actisaf^® contributes to regulation of intestinal homeostasis. The ratio of positive to negative relationships between bacteria increases suggesting a stronger balance that is less sensitive to stresses and leads to better performance of piglets.

As a consequence, there is lower occurrence of digestive disorders reducing the needs for any treatments with for example antibiotics.

Although the probiotic effect of Actisaf^®, improving the microbiome, does start right after supplementation, the full impact can only be observed after some time. Therefor it is important to help piglets to bridge this period of adaptation in order to limit the risk of pathogens like E. coli to cause a health issue.

To have immidiate impact on pathogen control the use of Safmannan® is recommended. This premium yeast fraction 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 (figure 3) preventing causing an inflammation. Once bacteria are bound to Safmannan® no further harm will be done as they are excreted in the faeces.

Fig. 3 Potential pathogenic bacteria adhere to the MOS fraction of Safmannan^®

A synthesis of results from three trials recently conducted in Europe shows the impact of zinc oxide on performance of piglets (figure 4). The results of piglets supplemented with Actisaf^® and Safmannan^® are very similar to the ones supplemented with therapeutic zinc oxide.

Fig. 4 Summary of trials with weaned piglets comparing therapeutic zinc supplementation with a combination of Actisaf^® and Safmannan^®

The overall performance of piglets during the six week rearing period were similar between high zinc oxide supplemented groups and piglets that received Actisaf® and Safmannan®. However, there is some differences in average daily gain during the various stages of rearing. In the first two weeks after weaning, usually the zinc oxide group does slightly outperform the group receiving Actisaf^® and Safmannan^® followed by a period of two weeks with equal performance. During the lats two weeks it is often observed that the yeast supplemented piglets have a higher average daily gain then the piglets supplemented with therapeutic zinc oxide (figure 5).

Fig. 5 Weekly evolution of average daily weight gain during the rearing stage of piglets. This trial was conducted in Denmark under commercial circumstances.