Other Research

Most piglets are weaned between three and four weeks of age, which is very soon after birth. In spite of its stress, early weaning is nowadays a common practice to increase the productive yield of pig farms. Diarrhea is a frequent challenge in weaning piglets and the dehydration caused by severe diarrhea can easily result in death. Antibiotics and medicinal zinc oxide were commonly used to treat the diarrhea; however, concerns of drug resistance and heavy metal pollution have made these treatments arguable. Therefore, in this study, supplements of the postbiotics, Totipro PE0401, or/and the mixture of ten probiotic strains, PF1001, are investigated for relieving the symptom and promoting the health in weaning piglets. Multiple combinations of Totipro PE0401 or/and PF1001 were added to the daily feed for six weeks during the weaning period. Better feed conversion rates and less odor of feces were seen in all Totiproor/ and PF1001-treated groups. The composition of gut microbiota was modulated, and immune response was enhanced toward a better defense against pathogens. The improvement on diarrhea was comparable with the antibiotic-treated group. In conclusion, the supplement of the postbiotics, Totipro PE0401, together with probiotic mixture, PF1001, is an alternative solution to weaning diarrhea in piglets.