Day 2 of Asian Agribiz’s Pig Feed Quality Conference addressed ‘Nutritional strategies to build a robust pig’, to help producers achieve profitability. Below are some highlights.
Feed safety important to improve health, immunity
Feed safety is paramount to improve the immune status of pigs, said Theerawit Poeikhampha, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Science, Kasetsart University. “First declare that it is free from toxins that can affect the animal,” he said. This would include contamination from mycotoxins and heavy metals. In addition, improving the natural immunity of pigs can also keep them robust, said Dr Theerawit. He recommended using Vitamins C and E to boost immunity. Apart from this, following vaccination schedules will help.
Evonik’s GAA stable and highly metabolizable
The use of pure Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) instead of animal byproducts in feed helps control variability and quality. Balachandar Jayaraman, Research Manager Swine at Evonik explained that while animal byproducts also contained GAA and creatine, their content is highly variable. “This creates a challenge during formulation,” he said. Dr Jayaraman also explained that countries are now legislating against the use of animal byproducts in feed. Consumer demand for animal protein not fed with animal byproducts is also gaining ground. “Meanwhile, pure GAA has 100% conversion and is highly metabolizable,” he added.
