Raising healthy piglets is crucial for successful pig production. Piglets are particularly sensitive in their early life stages and require a balanced concept for feeding, environment, disease prevention, and general management.
The foundation for a healthy piglet begins with a healthy sow. To give the piglet the best conditions for a successful start, it is important to positively support gut development as early as possible.
If initial care is delayed by 6 or even 12 hours, however, the IgG level only rises slowly. The critical phase without sufficient defenses is prolonged, and the calf is significantly more susceptible to diseases.
1. The Sow
To give the piglet the best conditions for a successful start, it is important to positively support gut development as early as possible – ideally even before birth through the feeding of the mother sow. Targeted feeding management can positively influence the quality and quantity of colostrum.
Maternal imprinting, i.e., the transfer of microbes from the mother sow to the newborn during birth, suckling, and the first phase of life, helps to establish the newborn’s gut microbiome and shape the development of the gut barrier.
The development of the piglets' immune system and thus their growth and survival are influenced by the sow's microbiota.
2. Colostrum Intake
Piglets are born without maternal immunity. Due to the placental barrier, they are born without maternal antibodies. This means they have no protection against infections and diseases. For this reason, immediate and adequate colostrum supply is essential and plays a crucial role in farrowing management.
However, with increasing litter size, the amount of colostrum per piglet can be insufficient. Especially lighter and later-born piglets receive less colostrum and therefore have poorer starting conditions.
Practical tip: For large litters or sows with a lower colostrum supply, it is recommended to offer piglets an additional post-colostrum milk (BEWI-SAN Piglet Start).
3. Feeding Concept
After colostrum, piglets require a continuous energy supply to support their rapid growth. In the first few weeks, piglets rely exclusively on sow’s milk. As modern sows increasingly give birth to more live piglets, an alternative feeding strategy is necessary on the farm.
Adequate nutrient supply is important for the maturation of the gut immune system and protects against diarrheal diseases during the neonatal and weaning periods. Optimally formulated milk replacer recipes can support this through the addition of probiotics, organic acids, and other ingredients (BEWITAL Prevention System).
- Good feed intake during the suckling period promotes gut development
- Balanced gut microbiota leads to excellent piglet health
- Higher weaning weights and lower mortality
- More homogeneous piglets with post-weaning advantages
Supplementing sow's milk with a high-quality milk replacer offers many advantages – for the sow and for the piglets.
4. Gut Health
A healthy gut is the key to a healthy pig. Piglets are very susceptible to infectious diseases in their early life, and effective management requires both preventive measures and timely action.
The maturation of the piglets’ gastrointestinal tract is a process that begins shortly after birth and continues into the post-weaning phase. Modulating the gut microbiome can improve growth and promote pig health.
Strengthening the gut in the first days of life lays the foundation for stable rearing, a calm suckling phase, and good daily weight gains.
Key approaches:
5. Weaning Management
Weaning is one of the most critical phases in a pig’s life and is associated with significant stress. Young piglets are separated from their mother and moved to a new environment. If this stressful period is not carefully managed, it can lead to weight loss, health problems, and even increased mortality.
Optimal weaning management is crucial for maintaining health and must be prepared early. To ensure a smooth transition, the feeding regime must be adjusted already in the farrowing pen.
- Adjust feeding regime already in the farrowing pen
- Change composition towards plant-based protein and carbohydrates
- Accustom piglets early to the digestion of plant components
Summary
With the help of a consistent colostrum and feeding regime, the piglet’s gut development can be positively supported early on, and the piglet is optimally prepared for the critical weaning phase.
A successful suckling phase combined with a smooth weaning phase reduces the incidence of digestive disorders to a minimum, prevents health problems, and promotes the rearing of robust and uniform young animals.
