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Effects of soluble and insoluble fiber on piglet performance

Effects of the type and level of soluble and insoluble fiber on productive performance and the incidence of diarrhea in piglets raised under two different hygienic conditions.

 

Dietary fiber has traditionally been associated with reduced feed intake and energy digestibility, particularly in young pigs.

However, research has shown that the inclusion of moderate amounts of certain fiber sources may reduce the incidence of post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) and improve the productive performance of newly weaned piglets.

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Ingredients such as oat husk, straw, or wheat bran contain significant amounts of insoluble fiber, which may influence motility and transit time of digesta throughout the gastrointestinal tract, thereby affecting piglet performance.

Other ingredients, such as beet pulp, are high in soluble fiber, which can increase digesta viscosity and reduce feed passage rate, potentially leading to a higher incidence of post-weaning diarrhea.

 

Study

The hygienic conditions of housing can also affect the health and growth of piglets, potentially leading to different responses depending on the type and level of fiber used.

For this reason, two studies were conducted to evaluate the productive performance and PWD in newly weaned piglets raised in either clean or dirty housing conditions and fed diets differing in the source and level of dietary fiber.

In experiment 1 (clean housing), 216 piglets were used and divided into 9 dietary treatments from 0 to 21 days post-weaning. Each treatment was repeated 4 times, with the pen (6 piglets) serving as the experimental unit.

In experiment 2 (dirty housing), all zootechnical and experimental procedures were similar to those described for experiment 1, with the only exception being that the housing facility for the piglets in Experiment 2 was not cleaned or disinfected prior to their arrival.

The experimental treatments in both experiments consisted of a control diet based on corn, soybean meal, and fish meal, containing 8.0% lactose and 2.2% crude fiber, as well as 8 experimental diets resulting from the combination of 4 fiber sources (straw, oat husk, beet pulp, and wheat bran) and 2 inclusion levels (2.5% and 5.0%).

 

All diets were formulated to contain 2,500 kcal of net energy and 1.3% digestible Lys. The remaining amino acids were formulated according to the ideal protein concept.

RESULTS

In Experiment 1 (clean conditions), pigs fed the control diet had higher weight gain, greater feed intake, better feed conversion ratio, and lower PWD (P < 0.05) compared to the average of pigs fed the 8 diets containing additional fiber.

The source and level of fiber did not affect piglet growth, but PWD increased as the fiber level in the diet increased.

 

In experiment 2 (dirty conditions), the growth of piglets was similar in pigs fed the control diet compared to the average of pigs fed the diets containing fiber.

However, PWD tended to be higher (P = 0.07) when additional fiber was included in the diet (control vs. average of fiber diets). Neither the source nor the level of fiber affected growth performance or PWD in pigs (P > 0.1)

CONCLUSION

In summary, the inclusion of additional fiber in the diet increased PWD and reduced feed efficiency in piglets raised under clean conditions.

However, when pigs were raised in dirty conditions, no negative effects of fiber supplementation on productive performance were detected, although PWD remained higher. The source of fiber did not affect productive performance in either experiment.

 

Consequently, the most appropriate fiber source and level in commercial diets for weaned pigs may depend on the hygienic conditions of the farm.

You may be also be interested in: “Dietary fiber and its effects on pig performance and welfare – Part I”

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