Producers know that if a pig has good gut health in the nursery, it’s more likely to get off to a good start in the grow-finish barn. But with increased pressure on antibiotic use, nutritionists are tasked with looking for effective alternatives, Jon De Jong, a nutritionist for the Pipestone Grow Finish Team, told Pig Health Today.
“Everyone is looking for that silver bullet, but we have yet to find it,” De Jong said. As a result, Pipestone is taking a multi-faceted approach. From the room environment and production set-up of the barns, to herd health and nutrition, these combined factors help alleviate the effect of limited antibiotic use. However, “I don’t think there ever will be a replacement for antibiotics. That’s not the goal,” he said.
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The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.
