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

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.