When we look with a practical eye at how to translate research on the effect of creep feeding in the farrowing unit into a stable approach, we can distinguish two determining phases:
• Phase 1: Day 0–14
• Phase 2: Day 14–weaning
Each of these two phases has its own goal for creep feeding piglets.
Day 0–14: maximizing the number of piglets that start eating
The first week after birth is very decisive for the percentage of piglets within a litter that begin to eat. It is well known that starting creep feeding early (day 2–4) clearly affects the total feed intake in the farrowing unit. Not only does the intake per piglet that eats contribute to this, but certainly also the number of piglets that start eating.
Not all piglets eat
Through feed form, feed type, and management, we can influence the percentage of piglets that eat before weaning. For example, feeding milk can affect the number of eaters and non‑eaters both before and after weaning (Figure 1). In this trial, of the group of piglets that received liquid supplementary feed, 67.5% had eaten before weaning and 6.4% had not. In the control group, 50.9% of the piglets had eaten and 20.6% had not. For the remaining piglets, it could not be determined whether they had eaten or not.
Day and location
Place good open round feed bowls between day 2 and 4 in a clean spot, as close as possible to the sow’s head and next to the piglets’ drinker nipple. Fill these bowls twice a day with fresh product.
Dry or liquid, with or without milk?
A meal feed is eaten earlier than a pellet, and liquid feed is eaten earlier than dry feed. A piglet will also consume more milk and more liquid pre‑starter than dry pre‑starter. However, liquid feeding is not necessarily the best option for every farm.
Available labour, automation, weaning age, health (e.g. sensitivity to diarrhoea), personal preference, and production‑technical goals (e.g. supplemental milk alongside sow milk) all influence the final choice.
Complete assortment
In addition to liquid milk and pre‑starters that can be fed both dry and as a mash, a dry milk product should also be part of the assortment. Especially on large farms with high labour pressure, this is a good way to combine the advantages of milk without the disadvantages of liquid feeding.
How much should they eat?
The guideline is between 80 and 160 grams of feed / milk powder per piglet in the first 14 days. At this intake level, you may assume that the maximum number of piglets is consuming enough feed. For both higher and lower intakes, we recommend investigating the underlying cause.
Phase 2 – Day 14 to weaning: training the digestive system
During this period, two things are important:
A. realizing the value of the good start
B. teaching the piglet to digest feed
Bringing the good (and costly) start to full value
The investment in “expensive” milk or pre‑starter should not be lost in Phase 2. It is important that piglets keep eating, even when switching to the next feed.
To achieve this, there are several guidelines and standards (Figure 3):
- Feed the first pre‑starter / (dry) milk until the piglets reach an intake of at least 20 grams per piglet per day.
- Feed pre‑starters until an intake of at least 30 grams is reached before switching to a weaning feed / first‑phase piglet feed.
- Ensure that the intake norms are met, and that feed intake in week 4 doubles compared to the total intake in the first 21 days.
More is often not better
Piglets need to learn how to digest feed and stimulate and develop the gastrointestinal system. To achieve this, they must consume enough of the raw materials before weaning that they will also eat after weaning. This includes crude fibre, which stimulates the intestinal and stomach walls and activates peristalsis and overall gut activity.
Feeds containing these functional raw materials are less palatable than the luxury products used in the first 14 days. By not switching too early, and by offering feeds with the right balance between necessary and palatable ingredients, the intake standards mentioned are very achievable.
Consciously steering towards an appropriate feed intake within the feeding regime — instead of steering toward maximum intake — is (still) not common practice and therefore needs to be discussed thoroughly with the customer.
About the author
Bram Bronsvoort
Specialist Swine
