Porcine plasma by Bill Falkingham
A
better
solution
for weaned
piglets?
Presented as a “natural AGP”
for use in non-ruminant feeds,
spray-dried porcine plasma is
gaining favour in the European
Union and beyond.
Often, piglets go through a brief
period of not eating, compromising
disease resistance and development
of their intestine.
istockphoto/Mark Stokes
Ever since the EU ban on antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs),
pig producers have struggled to ensure optimum piglet health at
weaning -- the most vulnerable period of a pig’s life.
The switch from milk to solid feed triggers a change in the animal’s
metabolism and development of the intestines, a change which takes
days to complete. Often, the piglets go through a brief period of not
eating, compromising disease
resistance and the development
of their intestine.
Hungry
During this crucial period, the
piglet is without the natural protec-
piglets often
tion found in the sow’s milk and
yet its immune system is not fully
eat more
developed, reducing its capacity
to destroy pathogens.
What’s more, when they start eating again, hungry piglets often eat
more than their fledgling digestive system can cope with. Undigested
feed in the gut and a reduced resistance to disease can quickly lead
to sickness that delays growth and development – the stage at which
AGPs used to be added.
Little known by-product
But a little known by-product of the animal processing industry
now promises producers a similar effect.
Spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) is produced from animals
slaughtered in abattoirs under the control of official vets and which have
