Performance and diarrhoea in piglets following weaning at seven weeks of age: Challenge with E. coli O 149 and effect of dietary factors

Abstract

Four dietary factors (ad libitum versus feed restriction, control versus protein restriction at ad libitum feeding, control versus inclusion of lupin as a protein source at ad libitum feeding, and control versus extra vitamin E at ad libitum feeding) were tested in four separate experiments for the effect on diarrhoea. To introduce a diarrhoea-like condition, half of the piglets were challenged with an E. coli O 149 dose of 1 × 10 8 colony forming units on days one and two after weaning (day of weaning= day zero). All piglets were susceptible since the dams were tested mono-zygotic susceptible to the attachment site of E. coli O 149 in the intestines. Each of the four experiments included 32 piglets from 4 sows. The design was a 2 × 2 factorial with dietary factor and E. coli O 149 challenge as the two factors, each at two levels. The piglets were housed individually during the experiment which lasted for 10 days from weaning at 7 weeks of age. The daily recordings included feed intake, weight and faecal score (from 1 = solid and cloddy to 6 = watery and yellow). Faeces from days 1 to 4 were tested for E. coli strains. In addition, blood was sampled and serum was analysed for antibodies to E. coli, IgG and IgM. Generally the E. coli challenge had no effect on growth and feed intake whereas faecal score and number of faecal haemolytic bacteria increased and faecal dry matter decreased. Feed restriction decreased the weight gain while faecal characteristics were unaffected. An analysis including all four experiments revealed that a feed intake of less than 200 g during the first day after weaning seems to be associated with a relatively high incidence of a post-weaning diarrhoea-like condition. Protein restriction decreased faecal score and increased faecal dry matter while weight gain tended to decrease. Inclusion of lupin affected neither weight gain nor faecal characteristics. Extra vitamin E did not affect weight gain while faecal dry matter decreased, and faecal score and number of faecal haemolytic bacteria increased. The dietary treatments had no effect on the measured immunoglobulins. In conclusion, the studied dietary factors could not alleviate a diarrhoea-like condition and at the same time maintain the growth rate. Furthermore, the results indicate that performance can be improved if piglets achieve a daily feed intake of at least 200 g during the first day after weaning.

Increasing weaning age of piglets from 4 to 7 weeks reduces stress, increases post-weaning feed intake but does not improve intestinal functionality

“…This study shows that when piglets are weaned at 7 weeks an increased sensitivity for ETEC-induced diarrhoea also exists. This has been shown before for piglets weaned at 6 or 7 weeks and challenged with ETEC, with a longer-lasting ETEC excretion in 4-week-weaned piglets than in 6-week-weaned piglets (Wellock et al, 2008;Sørensen et al, 2009). That creep feeding did not diminish the reduction in net fluid absorption by ETEC in our study but creep feed intake achieved by intermittent suckling did (Nabuurs et al, 1996;Kuller et al, 2007), implies that either the amount of creep feed consumed and/or the way of weaning is important for diminished fluid absorption by ETEC after weaning.…”

A between‐experiment analysis of relationships linking dietary protein intake and post‐weaning diarrhea in weanling pigs under conditions of experimental infection with an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli

“…This is a comparable result to the report by Sørensen et al . () that protein restriction increased fecal dry matter content and reduced diarrhea in 7‐week‐old weaner pigs (167 g vs. 94 g/kg digestible protein).…”

Alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in prevention of diarrhoea in weaned piglets: a review

“…Before 2006, health strategies widely used antibiotic growth promoters to reduce enteric infections and the occurrence of pathogens able to adhere to intestinal mucosa (Barton, 2000; Budino et al, 2005). These are added to feed for piglets from birth to weaning with the aim of improving the composition of intestinal microflora in piglets and thus ameliorate the potential consequences of PWD (Sorensen et al, 2009).…”

“…Before 2006, health strategies widely used antibiotic growth promoters to reduce enteric infections and the occurrence of pathogens able to adhere to intestinal mucosa (Barton, 2000; Budino et al, 2005). These are added to feed for piglets from birth to weaning with the aim of improving the composition of intestinal microflora in piglets and thus ameliorate the potential consequences of PWD (Sorensen et al, 2009).The increased use of antibiotics has given rise to a fear of the development of resistant pathogenic bacterial strains (Wegener et al, 1998;Kyriakis et al, 1999; Budino et al, 2005) and residual contamination of the food chain with antibiotics (Chen et al, 2005;Roselli et al, 2005). This has led to the adoption of safety measures and a gradual withdrawal of antibiotic promoters from pig diets.…”