Water kefir for weaned piglets: A pilot study on its farm‐scale production, its palatability and its effects on growth performance

Gangnat, Isabelle Diane Marie; Kreuzer, Michael (2021). Water kefir for weaned piglets: A pilot study on its farm‐scale production, its palatability and its effects on growth performance JSFA Reports, 1(1), pp. 11-16. John Wiley & Sons 10.1002/jsf2.22

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BACKGROUND: Water kefir is a beverage with potential benefits for weaned piglets, including increasing feed intake and being a source of probiotics and organic acids. However, experimental confirmation of this potential is lacking. The aim of this pilot experiment was to develop a method for producing and delivering water kefir to weaned piglets at farm scale, assess its palatability and identify potential side effects in piglets varying in weight. RESULTS: The method described here is applicable to farm practice, as it could produce >50 L water kefir per day with little investment and time. The lactic acid concentration and pH in the water kefir remained stable between batches, while the acetic acid concentration was more variable. Piglets consumed the total quantity offered, which represented about 1 L per piglet per day. No clinical signs of disease were observed requiring medication administration to the piglets. However, a trend of reduced growth was observed when water kefir was offered, especially in the lighter piglets. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to its applicability on farms, the water kefir production method facilitates experiments in young livestock under farm-scale conditions. The health-promoting potential of water kefir may be increased by elevating the nutrient supply in the culture medium. No critical issue was identified that would prevent the distribution of water kefir to weaned piglets. However, the reason for the trend toward reduced growth and whether this trend would be reversed in situations with greater disease pressure remain unclear.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL > Agriculture > Livestock and Horses
Name:	Gangnat, Isabelle Diane Marie and Kreuzer, Michael
Subjects:	S Agriculture > SF Animal culture
ISSN:	2573-5098
Publisher:	John Wiley & Sons
Language:	English
Submitter:	Isabelle Diane Marie Gangnat
Date Deposited:	04 May 2023 11:26
Last Modified:	04 May 2023 11:26
Publisher DOI:	10.1002/jsf2.22
Related URLs:	Organisation
Additional Information:	Explanation of Title Acronym: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Uncontrolled Keywords:	acetic acid, lactic acid, post-weaning health, probiotic bacteria, yeast
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.19168
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/19168