More offspring and heavier piglets
Very recent research at the University of Taiwan looked into survival and performance of PED-infected newborn piglets. The trials were conducted on commercial farms, under supervision of the University of Taipei (Taiwan). 20 sows that were demonstrated to be PCR-positive for PEDv (rectal swab) and their litters, were selected for the trial. The sows were divided into 2 treatment groups: sows receiving no additional dietary supplementation (control group) and sows receiving 2kg/tone of butyrate supplement* during the last three weeks of gestation and during lactation (butyrate group).The litters from these sows were also tested by PCR and a litter was considered PEDv+ if at least one piglet out of two tested was PEDv+ Piglets from the control sows received no additional treatment and piglets from the butyrate sows received 2kg/tone butyrate supplement in their liquid creep feed one week before and one week after weaning (weaning at day 21)(Figure1).figure 2 show that the average weight of the sows at the start of the trial was the very comparable. The results indicate that sows receiving the butyrate supplement during gestation and lactation were heavier at farrowing and at weaning and produced more viable offspring than the control group. On average 34% more live piglets were noted in the the butyrate supplemented group (figure 3). Piglets from the butyrate group were statistically heavier from day 14 onwards, and at the same time PED-associated mortality measured at weaning dropped substantially. butyrate supplementation resulted in a reduction of piglet mortality from 81% to only 54%. These results demonstrate that, due to butyrate’s effect on intestinal tissue health and healing,it helps PED affected piglets to cope better with the infection.