Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Gut Health and Microbiome Welfare

The role of gut microbiome health in pig welfare and production, and management strategies for improvement.

Key Facts

Post-weaning gut dysbiosis contributes to diarrhoea and poor welfare in piglets
Dietary fibre and fermentable substrates support healthy gut microbiome development
Probiotic and prebiotic supplementation can reduce gut disease incidence
Reduction in zinc oxide use following EU ban requires alternative gut health strategies
Gut health is increasingly recognised as a welfare as well as production issue

Welfare Considerations

Gut dysbiosis causes significant pain and suffering in piglets and older pigs, and nutritional management of the microbiome is an important welfare intervention.

What You Can Do

Support research into pig gut health and microbiome welfare
Advocate for nutritional standards that promote gut health in pig welfare rules
Encourage farmers to invest in dietary fibre as a gut health and welfare tool