Efeito de diferentes estratégias de desmame sobre o desempenho de leitões na creche

Abstract

The search for management strategies that minimize the stress of weaning pigs and its negative impacts is a challenge, as it is a critical phase within the production system. Stress related to weaning causes a large proportion of piglets to suffer from a drop in feed consumption, due to the difficulty in adapting to changes, especially to the new diet. Therefore, the hypothesis of this study was that the strategic weaning of piglets reduced stress and increased feed intake in the post-weaning period. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different weaning strategies on the performance and intestinal health of piglets in the nursery phase. The experiment was carried out at the Animalnutri Research Center (AUMA), in Patos de Minas - MG in two phases; in the farrowing and nursery phases. Twenty-seven females from paraties one to nine and their respective litters were used. The experimental design was randomized blocks (DBC) with three treatments: strategic early weaning (DAE), strategic segregated weaning (DSE) and conventional weaning (DC) with nine replicates each, with pen as the experimental unit. All piglets were individually weighed, and the feed intake measured per pen daily, with the aim of calculating the performance variables daily feed intake (DFI), daily weight gain (DWG), feed conversion (CA) and final weight (PF), considering the values of leftover feed. The incidence of diarrhea was evaluated daily, determined through the percentage of pens with positive animals for diarrhea in relation to the total of observations in the period. To assess the beginning of feed consumption, a fecal marker (ferric oxide) was added to the feed and rectal swabs were performed at 24, 48 and 72 hours after weaning. Blood samples were collected three days after weaning and three days after transfer to the nursery facilities for assessment of intestinal permeability using the Dextran-FITC marker. Treatment effects were evaluated by Tukey test at 5% significance (P<0.05). During the entire experimental period, the CRD was higher for the DSE animals (P=0.0016) and DSE and DC animals had higher GPD during the entire phase (0 to 20 days), compared to animals of the AED experimental group. It was possible to observe a lower incidence of diarrhea in animals from the DAE, when compared to the other treatments (P<0.05). As for the beginning of feed consumption, there was a difference for the DC treatment (P<0.05), since a lower percentage of animals was found consuming during the first hours after weaning. Concerning intestinal permeability, animals from the DC treatment had greater intestinal permeability compared to the animals from the DAE treatment (P<0.05). Hence, the different weaning strategies investigated in this research provide better adaptation and encourage the initiation of feed consumption by piglets when transferred to the nursery, in addition to alleviating the challenges that the animals suffer during this period.