Post-weaning gut dysfunction is a major welfare and production challenge, with nutritional and microbiome management strategies reducing the severity of this critical transition.
Post-weaning gut dysfunction causes significant suffering - affected piglets experience diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, reduced feed intake, and in severe cases, dehydration and death. The combination of microbiome disruption, reduced digestive capacity, and dietary change creates a perfect storm of gut health challenges at weaning. Nutritional strategies that support gut health through this transition - highly digestible diets, acidifiers, probiotics, gradual dietary transition - reduce disease incidence and the associated welfare burden. These interventions are increasingly important as restrictions on prophylactic antibiotic and zinc oxide use remove previously relied-upon safety nets.