The second session of the 2024 Pig Feed Quality Conference streamed on May 28 addressed ‘Piglet health through nutrition’. Led by Theerawit Poelkhampha, Associate Professor at Kasetsart University, speakers offered recommendations to ensure a good start with the latest nutritional strategies.
Today, we focus on MSG, rice brand oil, PWSY, and diarrhea. Here are the highlights:
How does MSG in lactation diet help improve piglet performance?
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) in lactation diets can help improve piglet growth. Roger Campbell, CEO of RG Campbell Advisor, attributed MSG to enhanced milk production. Recent research in Texas shows that MSG has a big effect on the growth of piglets. “MSG markedly changes the composition of milk. With MSG, dry matter, crude protein, and fat levels increase. More importantly, amino acid levels, both essential and non-essential, increase in both free and protein-bound forms,” he explained. He recommends that MSG be given in lactation diets but preferably before piglets enter the lactation barn. It is widely used in Australia and ranges from 0.5-5% in lactation diets.
Enhancing swine health and productivity with rice bran oil
Rice bran oil, widely available in Southeast Asia, can contribute to improving pig health. According to Dr Campbell, rice bran is rich in phytoceuticals such as oryzanol, lecithin, and squalene. It is also a good source of polyphenols and tocopherols. These components have the potential to reduce inflammation and indicators of oxidative stress in pigs. Additionally, the inclusion of rice bran oil can enhance villus height and gut integrity. He concluded that incorporating rice bran oil may not raise costs but can significantly boost productivity, ultimately leading to improved profits.
Can Apac achieve 30 PWSY?
Asia Pacific (Apac) still has a long way to go to achieve a piglet weaned/sow/year (PWSY) of more than 30, which is common in countries with a well-established industry. Art Frio, Consultant of Artech Consulting, explained that reaching this level involves various factors, including gilt quality, gestation and lactation length, total piglets born, and total piglets born alive. However, in Apac, caution is advised when aiming for more than 30 PWSY. “Increasing litter sizes requires hiring highly skilled labor, leading to higher costs and greater disease risks, as well as smaller piglets, all contributing to higher production cost,” said Mr Frio, adding that the challenge lies in balancing profit and productivity.
Why is diarrhea the key challenge to farms in Apac?
Diarrhea, whether infectious or non-infectious, poses a significant challenge to pig farms in Apac. According to Mr Frio, this issue is prevalent in Asia due to high humidity and common farming practices such as open housing and outdated facilities. He explained that diarrhea can occur when piglets are not adequately introduced to creep feeding, when the feeder design is inadequate, or when they have limited access to feed. This can lead to vaccination failure and increase the risk of disease outbreaks on the farms. One potential solution is to encourage piglets to consume creep feed or highly digestible feed at an earlier stage, despite the associated costs, as it can effectively control diarrhea and other diseases. He emphasized the need to strike a balance between profitability and productivity when implementing such measures.
