Piglets are highly susceptible to enteric disorders immediately after weaning.
Piglets have then an immature digestive system, whose capacity for nutrient
digestion is impaired by the transition from high quality liquid milk to a solid
diet. Diarrhea is common post-weaning and is characterised by reduced
digestive capacity in young pigs leading to poor growth performance (Pluske
et al., 1997). Because of an immature intestinal immune system, proliferation
of enteropathogenic bacteria has a high incidence that further predisposes
piglets to enteric infections. To mitigate these effects, weaned pigs are fed
complex diets based on costly ingredients like processed blood proteins and
milk by-products. Pig starter diets are also routinely supplemented with subtherapeutic
levels of antibiotics as growth promoters (de Lange et al., 2010).
However, public pressure is increasing to eliminate animal by-products and
antibiotics from swine diets for fear of risks to human health and, in case of
antibiotics transfer of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to humans. These concerns
have sparked considerable interest in identifying alternative nutritional
strategies for managing newly-weaned pigs fed antibiotic-free diets. Non-use
of antibiotics in swine feeding programs has an added advantage as a
marketing tool as several major international markets continue to demand
pork products originating from pigs raised under such production systems.
Therefore, the goal of this paper is to review the application of available feed
additives and feeding strategies that might be used to effectively manage
weaned piglets in antibiotic-free feeding regimens