Probiotics for pigs

Probiotics for pigs – how can they be made to work?
James McLaren - Mar. 2006

SUMMARY

The removal of antibiotic growth promoters from farm animal feeds has led to renewed interest in the use of live microbial cultures (probiotics) as a replacement.

A new approach to propagate probiotic bacteria, on-farm, so as to induce viable strains in sufficient numbers for better establishment and colonisation in the intestine of the pig, has been developed.

It has proven to be very efficient, especially in liquid feed systems for pigs, in Denmark.

A new approach to sub-propagate probiotic bacteria on-farm so as to induce viable strains in sufficient numbers for better establishment and colonisation of the liquid feed, and thus the intestine of the pig, has been developed in Denmark

This new approach has proven very efficient especially in wet feed applications in Denmark
The farmer purchases a special container in which is an optimised bacterial nutrient medium. He adds water and leaves it to process for up to 24 hours.

This preparation is then added to the liquid feeding system on a regular (daily) basis.
The probiotic bacteria grown are now viable and vitalised, they dominate the liquid feed system, repress the wild yeast and infective bacteria and then colonise the intestine in numbers which are adequate for a positive effect on the animal. These wild yeasts and bacteria are the ones that remove the trace minerals and amino acids which are added as a feed supplement for the pig’s health!

In Denmark we have seen very positive effects on sows on liquid feed diets.

The application of abundant viable probiotic bacteria have resulted in an increased appetite and a better feed uptake for the sow giving:

• Lower mortality in stressed sows prior to farrowing ( Clostridium dificile)
• Better and successful farrowing, resulting in fewer stillborn or enfeebled piglets
• More milk during the first weeks of lactation
• More uniform litter at weaning
• Greater number of weaned piglets