Angers, 18 August 2017: A trial carried out in a French commercial farm highlights the role of supplementation through citrus extracts (Nor-Spice AB®): feed intake improvement, intestinal stimulation and piglets’ better weight gain before weaning (reflecting an increase of sows milk production).
The growth stimulation of lactic acid bacteria thanks to Nor-Spice AB® supplementation appears to be the cause of the observed effects.
To carry out this trial, 50 sows were divided into 2 groups:
- Control group (Ctrl): standard diet
- Nor-Spice AB group: standard diet supplemented with 2 500 ppm of Nor-Spice AB. The supplementation occurred only 15 days before, up to 5 days after farrowing.
The following parameters were measured: feed intake, first dejection after farrowing and piglet growth at 7 and 21 days.
Results on sows
In sows, we observe:
– A significant reduction of the interval between farrowing and the first dejection, which indicates a faster transit after farrowing
– An increase of Lactobacillus acidophilus population in feces
– An increase of feed intake
Results on piglets
In this trial, Nor-Spice AB® supplementation allows a higher weight gain during the first week compared to the standard diet (this good start was confirmed until weaning).