Ensuring that each piglet eats before weaning is essential to make weaning easier. However, feed intake before weaning is known to vary greatly from piglet to piglet. Dr Francesc Moristo, nutrition expert at the Schotthorst Feed Institute, summarises some of the reasons for this variability:
It has been proven that piglet growth at weaning is improved by the amount and quality of feed intake at weaning, therefore it is important to ensure that all piglets are fed prior to weaning.
However, creep feed intake in the farrowing room is generally low (mean intake on days 7–26 of 228 g/piglet, SFR) and also varies widely between piglets (0–936 g/piglet, SFR) and within piglets (e.g., 0–674 g/piglet).
Therefore, factors explaining the variation in creep feed intake between and within litters need to be investigated. Four factors that may play a role are listed below.
Diet presentation
composition: Creep feed formulations can affect pre-weaning feed intake. It is important to prepare piglets for the post-weaning diet with a creep feed diet so that they recognize the feed after the stressful transition period after weaning. Recent studies have shown that low-density simple diets are more effective in promoting piglet feed intake than complex, high-density diets.
Feed structure, size and (internal) hardness. Larger pellets may increase early creep feed intake, porridge appears to be preferred to dry pellets, replacing porridge with dry pellets also increases intake, and piglets prefer soft pellets over hard pellets.
Light Schedule
An extended photoperiod of 20 hours a day will increase creep feed intake more than 8 hours of light a day, so it may be useful to regularly check the light intensity (lux) and lighting schedule in the farrowing room.
The potential of social learning
Increasing opportunities for social learning between sows, littermates and non-littermates increases creep feed intake. Examples of ways to achieve this include feeding sows on the floor, “family” feeders for sows and piglets, increasing feeder space, “open” feeder types that allow piglets to easily see each other eating, removing some of the barriers between farrowing pens and mixing piglets.
Possibilities for exploration
Increasing the piglets’ exploration opportunities increases creep feed intake and the percentage of piglets that eat. Substrates can be offered to stimulate exploration and creep feed intake. Another way to increase feed intake is to offer piglets several feed types at the same time, providing them with choice.
If piglets are weaned at approximately 28-30 days of age, nutritionists should aim for the piglet to consume 1 kg of creep feed (cumulative) before weaning.
