LIQUID FEEDING AS A MEANS TO PROMOTE PIG HEALTH

Abstract

Surveillance studies have shown that liquid feeding of pigs reduces the incidence of salmonella. This has been particularly associated with the use of acidic residues derived from the food industry. More recently, and particularly because producers wish to feed liquid diets ad libitum, there has been much interest in the concept of feeding fermented liquid feed (FLF) to pigs. Natural, uncontrolled fermentation has produced very mixed results on commercial units. However, when selected lactic acid bacteria inoculants are used and fermentation conditions are carefully controlled, an acidic diet is produced that rapidly and effectively excludes enteropathogens. When diets are produced by controlled fermentation they are readily accepted by pigs. Such feed has been shown to enhance post-weaning growth and reduce coliform levels in the lower gut. Because of this, FLF may be a useful alternative to antibiotic growth promoters and avoid the problems associated with the development of antibiotic resistance. Although results in experimental units are impressive, more research is needed before we can provide Standard Operating Procedures relevant to different conditions. These are needed to enable the transfer of this exciting technology to commercial pig units.