18 Oct 2021
Producers should be encouraged to start implementing post-weaning diarrhoea management strategies now to prevent pig health and performance dipping once it’s withdrawn.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Pig producers have been urged to start bringing in alternatives to zinc oxide to manage post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) to avoid health and performance dipping once it is removed from use.
Use of zinc oxide is being stopped in the EU from June 2022, with that move also impacting on UK-exported products.
Successful management of PWD could be challenging and would require collaboration between vets, nutritionists and producers, according to Faye Murch, consultant at Kingsgate Nutrition.
Speaking at an Elanco seminar to look at future options for PWD once zinc oxide is withdrawn, Mrs Murch said: “Zinc oxide is something of a wonder drug that can hide a lot of potential issues on farm. There’s not one single solution to replace it and a multifaceted approach is going to be required.
“Current nutritional strategies are largely centred around supporting gut health and maximising beneficial bacteria.
“These include increasing the fibre content of diets to control the speed feed is passing through the gut and reducing crude protein levels to maintain gut health. The use of probiotics is also potentially an option.”
Eric Nadeau, Elanco global pig vaccine advisor, highlighted vaccination as a key tool for managing PWD going forward, but said it should be supported by other measures such as good hygiene and biosecurity for optimal results.
Dr Nadeau said: “Around 65% of farms in the UK have PWD, and the F4 and F18 strains of enterotoxigenic [Escherichia coli] are responsible for between 50% and 80% of cases.
“Farms vaccinating with Coliprotec – an in-water oral vaccine that protects against the two prominent strains – have seen good results in terms of improved performance and reduced antimicrobial use.”
