143
Supplementing sows or their litters with a direct fed microbial feed additive decreases fecal shedding of bacterial pathogens and increases litter performance in sows naturally infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRS)

Tuesday, March 18, 2014: 9:15 AM
318-319 (Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center)
Patrick K. Brown , Agri-King, Inc., Fulton, IL
David A. Spangler , Agri-King Inc., Fulton, IL
Kelly M Foerder , Agri-King, Inc., Fulton, IL
James C Coomer , Agri-King, Inc., Fulton, IL
Dave F. Jones , Agri-King Inc., Fulton, IL
Rod J Hall , Agri-King, Inc., Fulton, IL
Abstract Text:

Data from a previous study indicated that fecal shedding of pathogens by sows was reduced and the number of pigs weaned per litter was increased when Tri-Lution (T-L; Agri-King, Inc.), a synbiotic blend of pre- and probiotics, was fed to PRRS-negative sows.  The two studies reported herein were conducted to further evaluate the effects of feeding T-L to sows or their litters.  Both studies occurred during naturally-occurring PRRS outbreaks.  The first study was conducted to determine whether a daily top-dress of 60g T-L onto pig creep mats during lactation would 1) reduce fecal shedding of bacterial pathogens in piglets, and 2) increase the number of pigs weaned per litter.  At farrowing, a total of 78 individually-housed litters were blocked by their dam’s parity and allotted randomly to 1 of 2 treatments (negative control or T-L).  Fecal samples were collected from a subset of 36 litters (19 d old pigs) and cultured for bacterial pathogens (cfu/g feces).  Treatment of litter creep mats with T-L increased (P<0.01) the number of pigs weaned per litter (10.46 vs. 8.74) and reduced (P<0.01) fecal shedding of coliforms (log 9.25 vs. 10.01) and E.coli (log 9.13 vs. 9.92), and tended (P<0.06) to reduce fecal populations of Clostridia (log 6.54 vs. 7.14).  In the second study, third-trimester, parity-one and parity-two sows (n = 160) were blocked by parity and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 daily treatments to determine the effect of T-L on 1) the number of pigs weaned per litter and 2) serum concentrations of neutralizing antibodies against PRRS.  From d 84 of gestation until weaning, treatments to sows consisted of either a negative control or a daily, 30-gram oral dose of T-L.  All sows were fed the same basal diet.  Serum was collected from a subset of 32 sows following natural exposure to the farm’s circulating PRRS virus and subsequent vaccination with live PRRS virus.  The number of pigs weaned per sow was increased (P<0.02) in sows fed T-L (7.40 vs. 5.81).  Neutralizing antibody titer against PRRS was not increased (P<0.27) in sows treated with T-L (95.9 negative control vs. 137.6 T-L).  In summary, these results indicate that feeding T-L during a PRRS outbreak reduced fecal shedding of bacterial pathogens and improved piglet survivability.  It is hypothesized that favorable modifications to the gastrointestinal microbiota from feeding T-L strengthened the intestinal immune response against microbial pathogens, leading to improved piglet survivability.

Keywords: Probiotic, PRRS