Botanicals as feed additives to improve health and production in pigs
2008
Bea Klinzing Nielsen,Nor-Feed A/S, Hvidovre (Denmark)
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of different blends of botanicals rich in polyphenols on production parameters in piglets (Experiment 1 with additives based on a combination of citrus, grape and chestnut), in finishers (Experiment 2 with additives based on a combination of green tea, white willow bark, olive leaves and chestnut) and on mortality in piglets in herds with PMWS problems (Experiment 3 with additives based on a combination of green tea, white willow bark, olive leaves and chestnut). Supplementing piglets with natural additives (Experiment 1) resulted in improved daily gain in the period following weaning of 29% (P less than 0.01), feed intake of 20% (P less than 0.01) and feed utilization by 13% (P less than 0.01). The number of outbreak of diarrhoea was reduced when supplementing weaned piglets with the natural additive. In Experiment 2, daily weight gains increased by 8% (P less than 0.01) and feed utilization by 10%. Supplementing piglets from herds with PMWS problems reduced the mortality from 5.8% to 3.1%. Our results suggest positive effects of the additives tested on the production and health of piglets.
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