International Pig Topics • Volume 32 Number 6 15

Pigs weaned per sow per year is a resultof three different elements: pigs bornalive per litter, litters per sow per year

and pre-weaning mortality. In 2015, inEurope, the overall average number of pigsborn alive per litter reached 13.5 piglets,with a mean preweaning mortality rate of12.9%.

by The Technical Service Team, Olmix, France.

www.olmix.com

On average, 50-80% of piglet deathsoccur during the first week after birth, withthe most critical period being the first 72hours of life. During the first three days,crushing and starvation are the main causeof piglet mortality, whereas after the firstweek mortality is dominated by diseasesincluding digestive disorders and infections.

Colostrum intake, the starting point

Insufficient colostrum intake is one of themajor causes of neonatal mortality in pigproduction and can also have long termeffects on piglet growth and immunityespecially in hyper prolific sows. Colostrum is mainly composed of

digestible nutrients and key compoundssuch as immunoglobulins, hydrolyticenzymes, hormones, and growth factorsthat are vital for piglet thermoregulation,immune transfer from the sow andstimulating intestinal development.Immunoglobulins G play a key role in the

protection against infections and are themost concentrated immunoglobulins incolostrum. Colostrum concentration in IgG is the

highest during the first hours afterfarrowing and quickly declines after 12hours. An early intake of colostrum is veryimportant to reduce susceptibility toinfections during the postnatal and postweaning period. Piglets that suffer from hypothermia and

anorexia have less ability to reach theudder, they will consume less colostrumand have a lower IgG intake leading todeath or poor performance. Heat systems

are used to provide a hot zone to newbornpiglets (29-35°C) and help piglets to sucklecolostrum early after birth.The use of a natural litter desiccant is a

good complement to a lamp system.Mistral, based on a specific blend of claysand essential oils, permits piglets to dryquickly and maintain a good bodytemperature after birth (Fig. 1).

Digestive welfare, the key

Diarrhoea is one of the most frequentlyencountered diseases in neonatal piglets, itresults in watery faeces and rapid loss ofwater, electrolytes, and nutrients. Diarrhoeain newborn piglets is usually related to thepresence of a single pathogen rather thanmixed infections. Nevertheless, many different pathogens

can be responsible for diarrhoea, the mainones being E. coli, Clostridium perfringens,enterococci, coronavirus (like PEDV andTGEV), rotavirus and coccidiosis. After birth the intestine undergoes

significant morphological changes that aredependent on early colostrum intake(source of nutrients and growth promotingpeptide).The immunological maturity of the

piglet’s intestine depends on colostrumintake (immunoglobulins) and on theacquisition of commensal bacteria, and isachieved only after 4-7 weeks of age. Inaddition, the regeneration time span of thesmall intestinal epithelium in day-old

piglets is reported to be 7-10 days, ascompared to 2-4 days in three-week-oldpigs. All these factors contribute to thesusceptibility of neonatal piglets to entericinfections, which lead to severe economicconsequences.Recent studies conducted in Sweden and

Denmark estimated that diarrhoea isresponsible for 5-24% of piglet preweaningmortality and reduces the average dailygain (ADG) by 8-14g per day. The overallcost of neonatal diarrhoea is estimated at€134 per sow and year.In addition, diarrhoea can lead to an

overuse of antibiotics which may result inincreased antimicrobial resistance, one ofthe greatest threats to both animal andhuman health. It is thus very important toprotect the piglet’s intestinal epithelium toreduce the incidence of enteric infectionsthanks to better digestive welfare.Olmix has been studying marine

biotechnologies for more than 20 years andhas focused, in the past 10 years, on theextraction and use of specific sulphatedpolysaccharides from algae (MSP) to theservice of animal production challenges. Olmix has been working on the capacity

of some MSP to protect the intestinalepithelium by stimulating the production ofmucin in the gut. Intestinal mucins are largeglycoproteins secreted by goblet cells inthe intestine.They constitute the mucus gel that coats

the intestinal epithelium and protects it.The mucus layer prevents the attachment

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Caring about digestivewelfare to save pigletsbefore weaning

Fig. 1. Piglet body temperature after birth depending on the drying strategy.

38

36

34

32

300 10 20 30 40

Time (minutes)

Piglet bod

y temperature (˚C)

n No lamp n With lamp n Mistral with lamp

16 International Pig Topics • Volume 32 Number 6

and colonisation of pathogens on themucosa, and limits the intestinal absorptionof toxins. Therefore, stimulating theproduction of mucin to protect theintestine turns out to be a relevant strategyto support intestinal development of youngpiglets and to prevent digestive disorders.In 2000, Barcelo et al. demonstrated that

some polysaccharides from Ulva spstimulate the excretion of mucin fromgoblet cells, highlighting its potentialprotective use against various intestinaldiseases.

Digestive welfare, thanks to algae

Olmix has developed a full range ofproducts to support digestive welfare ofanimals, relying on its MSPMUCIN, whichstimulates the production of mucin bygoblet cells and so reinforces the intestinalmucus layer (Fig. 2).MSPMUCIN is present in two

complementary products adapted to thedifferent stages of the piglets.SeaGut Paste has been developed to

optimise intestinal welfare and limit thenegative effects of neonatal digestivetroubles. The unique association of naturalactive substances in this ‘three in one’product protects the digestive tract,promotes eubiosis, and supports young

piglets’ physiological balance. Its pastepresentation allows an easy administrationto young piglets. Results of a multi-site field study

conducted in Brittany, France, showed thatin the event of neonatal digestive troubles,SeaGut Paste was efficient in 76% of thecases, with no use of antibiotics.On the other hand, SeaGut Powder is

distributed from day five to weaning,directly on the floor or in a separate trough.Its formulation allows a continuousprotection of the intestinal mucosa andaccompanies the good development andmaturation of the piglets’ intestinal tract,for an eased weaning transition.Its use in maternity in an experimental

trial in Spain improved the intestinalhistomorphology of piglets, consequentlyreducing the number of piglets withdigestive troubles (-51%, P<0.001) and thenumber of piglets treated with injectablemedication (from 49.8 to 22.1% of thepiglets, P<0.001). Weaning weight wasincreased by 200g at 21 days (P<0.05).After ensuring an early and sufficient

colostrum intake, supporting intestinalwelfare of piglets all along maternity helpsto reduce piglet mortality and morbidity forimproved weaning performance. Olmix provides efficient clay and algae

based solutions to help farmers increasethe number of pigs weaned per sow peryear. n

Continued from page 15

Intestinalepithelium

Mucuslayer

Gutlumen

Goblet cells

MSPMUCIN

Mucin Increase of mucuslayer thickness Slow down of

pathogens

Pathogens

Fig. 2. Intestinal mucosa protective effects of MSPMUCIN.