Yeast boost for pig hygiene
Yeast boost for pig hygiene
FEEDING sows a complex carbohydrate derived from yeast improves farrowing crate hygiene and piglet immunity, which might help tackle pig wasting diseases.
Peter Spring, of the Swiss College of Agriculture, told the Alltech conference that alternatives to the remaining antibiotic growth promoters were needed ahead of the impending ban in 2006.
"The EU wants to ban AGPs to reduce the risk of bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics used in human health. A survey conducted in Denmark three years after their ban shows a marked decrease in resistant bacteria, but whether this has benefits on people remains to be seen."
However, one benefit of the ban is that antibiotic treatments could become more effective, reducing treatment costs for producers, said Prof Spring. "One alternative growth promoter is Bio-Mos, a mannose-based carbohydrate complex derived from the outer layer of yeast cells. When fed to sows, it promotes good gut health and boosts the immune system."
Sows also produce more milk, which contains higher levels of immunoglobulins. Prof Spring believes this improves the transfer of immunity to pre-weaned piglets.
"A US experiment with Bio-Mos showed piglets weighed 300g more at weaning and pre-weaning mortality was reduced from 11.3% to 9.1%. This equates to an annual cost benefit of £25 a sow."
This cost includes the benefit of improved fertility – sows returned to oestrus two days earlier than those fed rations without the yeast product, said Prof Spring.
He believes that lower piglet mortality is due to improved farrowing crate hygiene because sows fed the complex excrete fewer pathogens.
When combined with a higher immunity status in piglets, this could reduce mortality with wasting diseases, but further research is needed to prove this, said Prof Spring. *