Quantic Pulse helps reduce moisture in swine feed, while Dryd helps piglets stay dry.

January 22, 2020

3 Min Read
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From mycotoxins to hypothermia, swine producers face a number of environmental challenges that threaten their pigs’ health — and their bottom lines. At the 2020 Iowa Pork Congress, Phibro Animal Health Corp. introduced two new products: one to help swine producers reduce the moisture in swine feed and the other to help piglets stay dry and start strong.

Reduced feed moisture

Mycotoxins threaten swine producers’ profits through decreased production and productive performance, often going undetected until pigs exhibit clinical signs of mycotoxin contamination — and by then, it’s often too late, Phibro said.

By controlling moisture in swine feed, the new nutritional specialty product Quantic Pulse has been designed to help swine producers reduce the likelihood of mycotoxin challenges, Phibro said.

Reducing moisture helps limit mold growth and limiting molds, such as those that produce two of the costliest mycotoxins — deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN), can help improve bodyweight, average daily gain and average daily feed intake, the announcement said.

“Left untreated, these molds, and the subsequent mycotoxins that they can produce, are extremely detrimental to productivity,” said Phibro marketing director Paulo Rezende Napier. “By feeding Quantic Pulse daily at the recommended rate, producers can help protect their herds and optimize performance.”

In a 2019 contract research study, 124 barrows and gilts were fed three treatment diets, including a negative control (feed with no mycotoxins), a positive mycotoxin control (feed containing 4 ppm DON and 0.5 ppm ZEN from a naturally contaminated corn source) and the same positive mycotoxin control diet containing Quantic Pulse at an inclusion rate of 0.50% (10 lb. per U.S. ton). Based on bodyweight and average daily gain results, Quantic Pulse successfully mitigated the 4 ppm DON and 0.5 ppm ZEN levels, Phibro reported.

Piglet drying agent

Hypothermia, a major contributing factor in the mortality rate of neonatal piglets, poses another challenge to swine producers, Phibro said.

At birth, piglets lose heat rapidly — especially when wet. Now, swine producers have Dryd, a new drying agent from Phibro, that can absorb up to three times its own weight in moisture.

“Dryd helps producers offset cool, wet conditions at birth by absorbing excess moisture,” explained Mark Rooney, director of Phibro’s U.S. Swine Business Unit. “By keeping newborn piglets dry, they get off to a strong start, which can lead to improved survivability.”

In addition to hypothermia, crushing deaths have been shown to decrease when piglets are dry and warm. In a farrowing study by Andersen et al. in 2009, drying piglets in addition to employing heat lamps significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the number of litters in which at least one pig was crushed, Phibro said.

According to the company, Dryd features a blend of generally recognized as safe/Association of American Feed Control Officials-listed, all-natural ingredients that give it a significantly higher moisture capacity than comparable products. Dryd can also be used as a litter desiccant for ruminants and poultry. It is available in 30-lb bags for ease of handling.

Both products are now available, and producers can learn more by contacting their Phibro representative or by visiting pahc.com.

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