Weaning in pigs is a stressful event, triggering social, physiological, and immune challenges that impact health, feed intake, and growth. Despite advancements in management, it remains one of the most stressful periods in a pig’s life, leading to intestinal and immune dysfunctions with short- and long-term effects on performance.
In nature, weaning in pigs is a gradual process that occurs at about 3 months of age and represent the shift from the piglet’s reliance on sow’s milk to other feed sources.
In modern production systems, and despite advancements in livestock management and biosecurity, weaning is still one of the most stressful events in the pig’s life. They face social and physiological changes while they are neither physiologically nor immunologically mature.
All these factors contribute to intestinal and immune system dysfunctions that may have both short and long-term effects on reduced pig health, feed intake, and growth.
Weaning in pigs introduces several stressors: social stress from mixing litters, environmental stress from changes in surroundings, and feed transition, from liquid to solid and milk protein to plant-based protein.
These stressors primarily cause depressed feed intake, leading to reduced nutrient absorption and limit gut development. The immaturity of the intestines, along with dietary changes, results in insufficient enzyme secretion and altered enzyme activity, reducing digestive capacity of the animal and energy absorption. Besides, the combined stresses disrupt intestinal barrier integrity, increasing the risk of diarrhea. Finally, oxidative stress from these challenges triggers inflammation, which, if uncontrolled, can compromise immune responses.
Managing these stresses is crucial for improving piglet performance and future development.
Product names and availability may vary by region, please contact your local Adisseo representative for more information.
Adisseo’s swine solutions offer a comprehensive and science-backed approach to managing stress in piglets, particularly around the critical weaning period.
Our strategies are designed to mitigate the negative impacts of weaning stress on animal health and both short- and long-term performance.
Adisseo combines innovative nutritional tools with expert support to help producers optimize piglet health and performance in a sustainable, cost-effective way.
Contact us today to explore how our solutions can meet your specific needs.
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