Abstract
Creep feed provision may ease weaning, hence we determined the impact of providing fibrous creep feed before weaning and adding this feed to the post-weaning diet on piglet behavior and performance. Pre-weaning, litters with on average 12 piglets were given creep feed (CF, n = 12 litters) or not (NF, n = 10 litters). Post-weaning, piglets (n = 8 pens with 4 piglets/treatment) were given a weaner diet (CON) or weaner diet supplemented with creep feed (CS). Behaviors were scored in the home pen at d11, 16, 22 and 27 after birth and at wk 1 and 2 post-weaning. Feed intake, growth and fecal consistency were measured up to d14 post-weaning. A blood sample was taken at d2, 15 and 29 after birth and d2, 5 and 14 post-weaning. CF-piglets consumed on average 397 ± 71 g creep feed before weaning. CF-piglets grew faster in the last week before weaning than NF-piglets (249 ± 7 vs. 236 ± 11 g/d, F(1, 18) = 5.81, P = 0.03). However, CF- and NF-piglets did not differ in weaning weight, within-litter coefficient of variation in weaning weight, behaviors in the farrowing and weaner pen, and haptoglobin concentrations. Creep feed supplementation enhanced feed exploration at wk 2 post-weaning (0.29 ± 0.08 vs. 0.11 ± 0.03%, F(1, 27) = 5.27, P = 0.03), but did not affect other post-weaning behaviors. Pre-weaning creep feed provision and post-weaning creep feed supplementation did not affect overall feed intake, growth, feed efficiency and fecal consistency for the first 14 days post-weaning, neither body weight at d14 post-weaning. Nevertheless, CF-piglets had a lower within-pen coefficient of variation in body weight at d14 post-weaning than NF-piglets (13.6 ± 1.9 vs. 15.1 ± 1.5%, F(1, 26) = 6.89, P = 0.01). In conclusion, pre-weaning creep feed provision and post-weaning creep feed supplementation had no clear effects on piglet behavior and performance.
Highlights
Weaning in piglets often results in stress [reviewed by [1]], temporary fasting and in a low feed intake [e.g. [2, 3]]
Creep feed intake was variable between compared to NF-piglets (CF)-litters, with cumulative creep feed intake ranging from 96 to 972 g/piglet pre-weaning based on total creep feed consumption per litter
The present study was performed to determine the impact of pre-weaning creep feed provision, post-weaning creep feed supplementation and their interaction on piglet behavior and performance after weaning
Summary
Weaning in piglets often results in stress [reviewed by [1]], temporary fasting and in a low feed intake [e.g. [2, 3]]. Reducing the nutritional stressor at weaning may help to migitate weaning-related problems by habituating piglets to solid feed as an alternative energy source while they are with the sow [14], which may reduce neophobia for the weaner diet [13, 15]. This may improve the feed intake and growth of newly weaned piglets, the impact on these performance parameters seems inconsistent [positive effects: [14, 16], negative effects: [17], lack of effect: [18, 19]]. This seems the case when the same diet is given before and after weaning [28], it remains unknown whether a small quantity of the pre-weaning diet on top of the weaner diet can reduce post-weaning food neophobia
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