Bovine colostrum fed to pigs

A reduction of weaning-induced growth checks and diarrhoeal episodes in weaned piglets have been observed in piglets fed diets containing defatted bovine colostrum.

In research, carried out by the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), beneficial effects of the bovine colostrum were even observed beyond the period of treatment when the supplementation covered the first six days postweaning.

The present study investigated the effect of three different durations of feeding a diet supplemented with defatted bovine colostrum on growth performance and sanitary status of the weaned piglet. At 28 days of age, piglets were weaned and fed either a control diet or a diet containing bovine colostrum, after which two experiments were conducted, involving 310 and 522 piglets respectively.

Feed intake, growth performance, and cleanliness of floor and hindquarters of animals were investigated.