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Abstract
Pig weaning cause transient stress and reduction of feed intake and intestinal villi. Providing feed with solid texture could stimulate explorative interest, relieving weaning drawbacks and improving welfare. Feed blocks (0.8 kg each) were produced and 8 formulas were preliminarily tested for consumption on a pig farm (ingredients: wheat by-products, dried milk whey, calcium carbonate, oil, molasses). Feed consumption and growth within 3 days after weaning were assessed on penned litters fed the normal feed ad libitum, and one of the 3 best block formulas or a control (wooden pieces). Block consumption was relevant, but growth and carcase quality on a sub-sample reared to commercial maturation were not changed. These formulations were also tested against control on 72 weaned pigs on which behaviour related to feeding and social activities was evaluated by means of surveys using cameras. After 4 days, pigs were slaughtered and the small intestines were sampled for mucosa morphology. In general, block consumption was additive with the consumption of normal feed. Growth was not affected. One formulation (major ingredients: wheat middlings, cane molasses, milk whey and coconut oil) increased the mucosal surface area of the intestinal villi by 7.9% (p < .05) and the length of time the pigs slept (p < .01), of the activities detected by cameras. The presence of some ingredient in the formula may have influenced feed block consumption with a potential reduction in the negative impact of weaning on the growth of the intestinal villi and an improvement of some behavioural parameters.HighlightsIngredient composition may influence the disappearance of the feed block, as a variable combination of disaggregation and intake by the piglets.The formulation based on wheat middlings, cane molasses, milk whey and coconut oil may improve growth and favour better welfareBlock supplementation may increase the absorbent surface of the proximal jejunum.
Highlights
On 18 December 2008, European Union COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2008/120/EC which laid down minimum standards for the protection of pigs became effective
The results showed that the feed blocks with the F8 formula were consumed more than those with the F3, F4 and F5 formulas (p < .05, Figure 1)
Composition may influence block consumption as the inclusion of some ingredients increased the disappearance of the block, suggesting that some of them are more important than others
Summary
On 18 December 2008, European Union COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2008/120/EC which laid down minimum standards for the protection of pigs became effective. The Directive highlighted key points to ensure an adequate level of welfare for pigs reared in confined conditions. This Directive stressed the need for permanent access of the animals to a sufficient quantity of material to enable their proper investigation and manipulation activities, without compromising health, and this represented a challenge for the production system, especially for weaning pigs.
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