To evaluate how a high-quality diet coupled with creep feeding contributes to post-weaning feed intake and animal performance, researchers evaluated two feeding programmes. The programmes were administered to piglets weaned at day 24. A control group received a simple weaner diet and was not offered creep feeding in the farrowing room. A second group of pigs received a high-quality weaner diet formulated with ingredients to accelerate and support gut maturation along with supplemental creep feeding.
Among piglets receiving the high-quality diet and creep feeding, improvements in feed intake and body weight in the post-weaning phase were observed (Figure 1 and Figure 2) compared to animals receiving the control diet. However, the most interesting observations are related to the physiological development of the animals’ gastrointestinal tracts. Piglets that received creep feed and a premium diet had heavier and longer small intestines than their counterparts receiving the simple weaner diet without creep feeding. Additionally, piglets receiving the creep feed and premium diet showed higher intestinal cell proliferation and had higher concentrations of fermentation products in their large intestines. These findings suggest an active and diverse microbial population of beneficial bacteria within the piglets. In combination, these factors may better prepare the piglets to manage the stress occurring around weaning and right after weaning.
The goal of supplemental creep feeding should go beyond simply adding body weight to the animal. Creep feeding should also aim to stimulate and sustain the weaning piglet’s feed intake in an effort to deliver lasting performance benefits. In the trial, pigs receiving the creep feed and premium weaner diet showed a significantly greater feed intake and feed efficiency during the first 18 days post-weaning.
Creep feeding may help pre-weaning piglets to adapt to the texture of solid feed and attributes such as palatability. Because creep feeding includes ingredients and nutrients that support gastrointestinal development pre-weaning, creep feeding will enable weanling pigs to resume feed intake more quickly and also will help to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract. Extrapolating on the findings, researchers posit that piglets’ higher feed intake during the first two weeks post-weaning could contribute to a significantly higher body weight and daily gain up to slaughter. Creep feeding may also potentially contribute to other benefits including reduced variance and improved health. To advance understanding of how animal nutrition supports both health and performance, Trouw Nutrition invests in hundreds of studies each year, collaborating with universities and partners in research centers and on commercial validation farms.
Average feed intake of pigs fed diet 2 was significantly greater in the period immediately after weaning (d0-5) and the following period after weaning (d5-18)
Body weights of pigs fed diet 2 were significantly higher at each point in time
Author - Tetske Hulshof