Management and Feeding Strategies in Early Life to Increase Piglet Performance and Welfare around Weaning: A Review
The performance of piglets in nurseries may vary depending on body weight, age at weaning, management, and pathogenic load in the pig facilities. The early events in a pig’s life are very important and may have long lasting consequences, since growth lag involves a significant cost to the system due...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/2/302 |
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| author | Laia Blavi David Solà-Oriol Pol Llonch Sergi López-Vergé Susana María Martín-Orúe José Francisco Pérez |
| author_facet | Laia Blavi David Solà-Oriol Pol Llonch Sergi López-Vergé Susana María Martín-Orúe José Francisco Pérez |
| author_sort | Laia Blavi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The performance of piglets in nurseries may vary depending on body weight, age at weaning, management, and pathogenic load in the pig facilities. The early events in a pig’s life are very important and may have long lasting consequences, since growth lag involves a significant cost to the system due to reduced market weights and increased barn occupancy. The present review evidences that there are several strategies that can be used to improve the performance and welfare of pigs at weaning. A complex set of early management and dietary strategies have been explored in sows and suckling piglets for achieving optimum and efficient growth of piglets after weaning. The management strategies studied to improve development and animal welfare include: (1) improving sow housing during gestation, (2) reducing pain during farrowing, (3) facilitating an early and sufficient colostrum intake, (4) promoting an early social interaction between litters, and (5) providing complementary feed during lactation. Dietary strategies for sows and suckling piglets aim to: (1) enhance fetal growth (arginine, folate, betaine, vitamin B<sub>12</sub>, carnitine, chromium, and zinc), (2) increase colostrum and milk production (DL-methionine, DL-2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanoic acid, arginine, L-carnitine, tryptophan, valine, vitamin E, and phytogenic actives), (3) modulate sows’ oxidative and inflammation status (polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, selenium, phytogenic actives, and spray dried plasma), (4) allow early microbial colonization (probiotics), or (5) supply conditionally essential nutrients (nucleotides, glutamate, glutamine, threonine, and tryptophan). |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:45:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5f631a57ff88457facedf81084584912 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:45:19Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-5f631a57ff88457facedf810845849122023-12-03T14:35:04ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-01-0111230210.3390/ani11020302Management and Feeding Strategies in Early Life to Increase Piglet Performance and Welfare around Weaning: A ReviewLaia Blavi0David Solà-Oriol1Pol Llonch2Sergi López-Vergé3Susana María Martín-Orúe4José Francisco Pérez5Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, SpainDepartment of Animal and Food Sciences, Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, SpainDepartment of Animal and Food Sciences, Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, SpainDepartment of Animal and Food Sciences, Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, SpainDepartment of Animal and Food Sciences, Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, SpainDepartment of Animal and Food Sciences, Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, SpainThe performance of piglets in nurseries may vary depending on body weight, age at weaning, management, and pathogenic load in the pig facilities. The early events in a pig’s life are very important and may have long lasting consequences, since growth lag involves a significant cost to the system due to reduced market weights and increased barn occupancy. The present review evidences that there are several strategies that can be used to improve the performance and welfare of pigs at weaning. A complex set of early management and dietary strategies have been explored in sows and suckling piglets for achieving optimum and efficient growth of piglets after weaning. The management strategies studied to improve development and animal welfare include: (1) improving sow housing during gestation, (2) reducing pain during farrowing, (3) facilitating an early and sufficient colostrum intake, (4) promoting an early social interaction between litters, and (5) providing complementary feed during lactation. Dietary strategies for sows and suckling piglets aim to: (1) enhance fetal growth (arginine, folate, betaine, vitamin B<sub>12</sub>, carnitine, chromium, and zinc), (2) increase colostrum and milk production (DL-methionine, DL-2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanoic acid, arginine, L-carnitine, tryptophan, valine, vitamin E, and phytogenic actives), (3) modulate sows’ oxidative and inflammation status (polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, selenium, phytogenic actives, and spray dried plasma), (4) allow early microbial colonization (probiotics), or (5) supply conditionally essential nutrients (nucleotides, glutamate, glutamine, threonine, and tryptophan).https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/2/302feedingmanagementstrategiesweaningpigs |
| spellingShingle | Laia Blavi David Solà-Oriol Pol Llonch Sergi López-Vergé Susana María Martín-Orúe José Francisco Pérez Management and Feeding Strategies in Early Life to Increase Piglet Performance and Welfare around Weaning: A Review Animals feeding management strategies weaning pigs |
| title | Management and Feeding Strategies in Early Life to Increase Piglet Performance and Welfare around Weaning: A Review |
| title_full | Management and Feeding Strategies in Early Life to Increase Piglet Performance and Welfare around Weaning: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Management and Feeding Strategies in Early Life to Increase Piglet Performance and Welfare around Weaning: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Management and Feeding Strategies in Early Life to Increase Piglet Performance and Welfare around Weaning: A Review |
| title_short | Management and Feeding Strategies in Early Life to Increase Piglet Performance and Welfare around Weaning: A Review |
| title_sort | management and feeding strategies in early life to increase piglet performance and welfare around weaning a review |
| topic | feeding management strategies weaning pigs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/2/302 |
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