UK pig farmers are being encouraged to use a microbial bedding conditioner after trials showed its use can help reduce disease and mortality rates in piglets.
A trial on a farrow-to-finish farm in France looked at the use of Lallemand’s microbial bedding conditioner, EazyBed PRO, on a total of 355 piglets that were split into two batches.
Both batches were divided into groups, with one group’s mats covered with EazyBed PRO and the other group’s mats covered with a standard conditioner containing plant extracts and silicates.
The trial found the number of piglets suffering from PWD dropped by 95.63% in the group with mats covered in EazyBed PRO, compared to the standard bedding conditioner, while mortality rates also dropped by more than 13%.
Lallemand Animal Nutrition UK & Ireland’s environmental product manager, Lientjie Colahan, said there was also a significant improvement in weight gain in the piglets in contact with the microbial bedding conditioner.
“The difference in the increase in weight between the two groups ranged from between 210g and 500g in weeks 1 to 4, and at week 5 when the piglets were weaned the average weight increase of those in contact with EazyBed PRO was 440g more than those piglets in contact with the standard conditioner,” she said.
The use of a microbial bedding conditioner to creative a positive biofilm in pig sheds has been proven to deliver benefits.
“Creating an environment with beneficial microbes in it for piglets from birth will help support them in the face of bacterial challenges such as post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) – and ultimately support a reduction in mortality rates,” Ms Colahan said.
“The positive biofilm can be created by applying a microbial bedding conditioner in farrowing pens; this will inoculate the piglets’ skin with positive bacteria and help to provide a barrier to any negative bacteria in the environment which they may come into contact with.”
Promoting pig health
Northern Ireland farmer Jonny Hessin has used a microbial biological bedding conditioner on his 1,000-sow, farrow-to-finish unit. He made the switch after previously using a dry powder disinfectant conditioner.
“Promoting piglet health and nutrition from the off is important to me because robust piglets support productivity and profitability,” he said.
“Since making the switch, I’ve noticed that piglets dry much quicker after birth which allows them to take their first colostrum feed quicker, bolstering health. The environment the piglets are in is also much more hygienic, limiting the risk of infection, which can have knock-on effects on welfare and growth.”
“I wasn’t sure whether we’d see much change from using a different product, but we’re really pleased with EazyBed PRO and wouldn’t switch back to our previous product now.”