Feed the pigs and train the enzymes prior to weaning

The purpose of FORFRA is to develop a new feeding concept for piglets that ensures weaning with optimal growth without development of diarrhea and without use of zinc oxide at medical levels and antibiotics. The feed will consist of optimized heat treated cereals, processed soy protein, and milk protein. The degradation profile of the cereal products and soybean meal will be determined in vitro and products with fast liberation of nutrients will be selected for the diets. These products are advantageous in piglets where high passage rate in the small intestine combined with low secretion of digestive enzymes limit digestion and absorption. This will furthermore allow for optimal protein supply that supports maximal growth. The diets will be fed to piglets from two days of age, which is hypothesized to stimulate the development and secretion of digestive enzymes. Feeding the same diets until two weeks post-weaning ensures that a high feed intake is maintained. Overall, the optimized diet and feeding concept in combination will translate into high digestibility of nutrients that will result in optimal growth and prevent development of post weaning diarrhea.
The project is financed by GUDP.