Animal Health is key: NEW WAYS TO REDUCE PRE-WEANING MORTALITY OF PIGLETS

摘要

Supplementing sow feed with an EU-approved probiotic from two weeks before farrowing and during lactation can significantly reduce pre-weaning mortality rate and effect increased number of piglets weaned per litter. The key issue for sow breeders is to wean a large number of healthy and fast growing piglets. Sow prolificacy has been improved considerably during recent years. As a result the rearing capacity of the sow is often exceeded with increasing risk of higher pre-weaning mortality rate. Published pre-weaning mortality rates in the main pig producing countries in Europe range from 9 per cent to 17 per cent, The most common reasons for pre-weaning mortality are crushing, starvation and diarrhoea. Pre-weaning mortality due to starvation and diarrhoea is caused by malnutrition and malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract of the newly born pig.