Impact of an early postnatal administration of an energetic supplement on growth performance, behaviour and gut microbiota in piglets with different birth weight classes

Abstract

Piglets are born with limited energy reserves, and early energy supplementation may improve their growth. This study evaluated the efficacy of an early energetic supplement on growth, mortality, behaviour and gut microbiota (GM). Twenty-two sows and their litters (12.9 ± 0.3 piglets) were assigned to two groups: ENER: piglets received 2 mL/day of an energetic product during the first three days of life; CTR: untreated piglets. Piglets were weighed at birth (d0) and classified by body weight class (BWC): LBW (<1300 g), NBW (1300–1700 g), and HBW (>1700 g). The interaction between treatment and BWC tended to affect the average daily gain (ADG; p < 0.10); the ENER group’s ADG was similar among LBW, NBW and HBW at d0-d2 and between NBW and HBW at d0-d27. The ENER piglets’ mortality rate was greater than CTR (p < 0.001). On d1 and d2, ENER piglets had less nose-to-nose contact with the sow and more positive behaviours on d2 (p < 0.05). On d5, ENER piglets spent less time lying near a heat source (p < 0.05) and tended to stay closer to the mother (p = 0.10). The GM of ENER piglets (d5) was enriched in Phascolarctobacterium, positively correlated to ADG (r > 0.4, p < 0.05), whereas Bartonella, negatively correlated to ADG (r = −0.37, p < 0.05), was more abundant in CTR (padj < 0.05). In conclusion, early energy supplementation could promote growth of LBW piglets and a more favourable GM profile; however, it does not support better survivability.