SUMMARY
  • Bactacid improved sow performance by increasing number of piglets per sow per year. This equates to approximately 510 kg extra pig meat sold per sow.
  • Bactacid also improved piglet performance, increasing survivability and average lifetime daily gain. This reduced days to slaughter and costs for the unit.
  • Bactacid is a cost effective sow feed additive providing improvements in sow and progeny performance.

 

BACKGROUND
  • Bactacid is part of Anpario’s Acid Based Eubiotics (ABE) range and is a blend of liquid formic and propionic acid on a unique mineral delivery system; chosen to ensure maximum efficacy during feed manufacture and throughout the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).
  • Formic acid is now classified as a bacterial decontaminating agent (including, but not limited to Salmonella) to improve feed hygiene (Feed Additive Register 2017/940).

 

TRIAL DESIGN

Anpario conducted a study with one of Portugal’s leading commercial pig producers to understand the efficacy of Bactacid in sow rations on subsequent sow and litter performance. 1100 breeding sows were allocated to one of two treatments and fed either the standard ration (Control), or the standard ration plus 2 kg/t of Bactacid in both gestation and lactation diets for one year. Diets were fed according to standard practice and performance parameters were measured for the sow and their progeny.

RESULTS

Table 1: Performance parameters of sows and piglets

  Control Bactacid % Change
Sow Performance
    Number of sows 600 500 –
    Litters/sow/year 2.35 2.53 +7.60
    Piglets/sow/year 19.0 24.1 +26.57
    Fertility (%) 87.0 (AI) 91.7 (AI) +5.40
Piglet Performance
    Pre-weaning mortality (%) 12 5 -58.33
    Weaning age (d) 19 – 20 19 – 20 –
    Days to slaughter (d) 170 150 -11.76
    Lifetime piglet ADG* (g) 720 830 +15.28

*ADG; Average Daily Gain

CONCLUSION
  • Feeding Bactacid substantially increased the number of litters per sow per year through improvements in fertility.
  • Feeding Bactacid increased the number of piglets produced per sow per year through improved piglet survivability. A reduction in bacterial load in the farrowing environment would help this.
  • Bactacid fed pigs had significantly reduced days to slaughter by an average of 20 days through improved piglet growth performance, this increased the amount of pig meat sold, significantly increasing the profitability of the unit.