Immune competency

Swine needs are evolving as breeds grow leaner and faster. Sustainability concerns shift focus to feeding less nutrient-dense diets, impacting key elements like phosphorus and protein. In a market minimizing antibiotic use, immune competency is crucial. Clinical signs of metabolic challenges emerge during fattening such ear and tail necrosis and SINS (swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome), signaling that immune competency is not optimum which can be underpinned by nutritional gaps amongst other causes.

Robustness and health are critically important in many swine markets with the constant evolution of disease challenges. Of course, the welfare of fatteners is one of the main concerns, but immune competency is also a critical consideration when the goal is to reach maximal genetic potential for growth, lean muscle deposition while minimizing morbidity and mortality. Market conditions have changed drastically in recent year and now the use of antibiotics has given way to a more preventive vision of health with an increase in the use of vaccines which stimulate and challenge the immune system. Pigs are also exposed to numerous environmental situations which modify and modulate their nutritional and physiological requirements and alter the expression of their growth potential.

The notion of an adaptive approach to nutrition becomes necessary when fatteners are faced with an everchanging environment whose impact on performance, health and physiology is difficult to quantify and predict. To facilitate immune competency support, new services (Verax™ DBS Analytics) are available to objectively assess the situation on farm at animal level, allowing for more informed decision making and identification of the best solutions for the best economical outcome on farm.