The Effect of DICOSAN on Performance in Post-Weaned Piglets

In the last 9^th ESPHM (EUROPEAN SYMPOSIUM OF PORCINE HEALTH MANAGEMENT), Norel presented a study evaluating the effect of DICOSAN^® (sodium salt of coconut fatty acid distillate) and its performance on post-weaned piglets.

240 piglets, within 28 days of age were distributed according to their initial body weight (BW) into 24 pens with 10 piglets per pen. Treatments were:

• CON-, control diet with no additives nor antibiotics;
• CON+, control diet plus 120 mg/kg of colistin and 3000ppm of ZnO;
• DIC, control diet plus DICOSAN^® at 3 kg/t of feed in the pre-starter (from 28 to 42 d) diet and 1 kg/t of feed in the starter diet(from 43 to 70 d).

Results were analyzed by one way ANOVA, with the initial BW as a covariable. There were no differences in performance at 42 days. At 70 days, piglets fed CON+ diet were the heaviest (22.53, 24.42 and 22.63 kg, for CON-, CON+ and DIC; P=0.006). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of piglets fed with DIC diets were the same than those fed CON+ (1.62, 1.54 and 1.54, for CON-, CON+ and DIC; P=0.108). The mortality of DIC group was the lowest (5.0, 2.5 and 0.0 for CON, CON+ and DIC;P=0.073).

In conclusion, the best results achieved by medicated diets (CON+) can be also achieved by DICOSAN^® as showed by the results of the FCR and in the low mortality. These results reinforce DICOSAN^® as a good alternative to antibiotics in pig diets.