The Denkapig Safe Concept; the alternative to zinc oxide?

In a trial performed by the independent research institute Schothorst Feed Research in Lelystad, the Denkapig Safe Concept is tested. It is tested against other feeds with and without 2500 ppm of added zinc oxide. In general, the results are positive. The trial concludes that the Denkapig Safe Concept improved piglet performance across the trial in a similar way to zinc oxide.

Safe Start Concept vs. other feeds

The trial was executed in the weaning/transition period (0 – 14 days after weaning) and consisted of 3 groups:
A: Negative control without zinc oxide,
B: Positive control (negative control + 2500 ppm zinc from extra added zinc oxide),
C: Denkapig Safe Concept. Between 14 – 35 days post-weaning all 3 treatment groups received the same standard rearing diet (Trial VOC-57, project VA17-08, Schothorst Feed Research, 2016).

Results 0 – 14 days after weaning

Between 0 – 14 days after weaning, piglets receiving transition diet B with extra added zinc oxide performed best regarding average daily gain, feed conversion rate and body weight at 14 days after weaning (Figure 1).

Even though the piglets receiving the Denkapig Safe Concept showed a lower average daily feed intake and average daily gain in the first 14 days after weaning, the piglets compensated for this in the total rearing period. By maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal tract during the weaning phase, piglets can show an overall good performance in the total rearing phase. Therefore it’s very important to look at the effects over the total post-weaning period.

Effects Safe Concept over a total post-weaning period

Over the total post-weaning period (0 – 35 days post-weaning), piglets receiving Denkapig Safe-concept showed the highest average daily gain and average daily feed intake, see figure 2.

Characteristics Safe Concept

The complete Denkapig Safe Concept is a complete approach for farmers for piglets from birth to 25-30 kg weight. The focus is wider than just the transition phase, offering complete feeds as well as concentrates to support the farmer in pig farming without extra added zinc.

The special transition diets around/after weaning are characterized by:

• The diets are adapted to optimum safety without added zinc.
  • Crude protein content is decreased (preventing unwanted fermentation of excessive protein)
  • Protein digestibility is optimized for balanced growth
  • The gastro-intestinal tract assisted to adapt to post-weaning challenges, maintaining intestinal integrity
• Carefully selected high-quality raw materials with strict quality control.
• Unique combination of additives based upon the needs of your situation.

Conclusion Safe Concept trial

In a conclusion, the application of the Denkapig Safe Concept without extra added zinc oxide in the weaning/transition period maintained growth performance over the total post-weaning period. The results are equal to results achieved with a program based on applying extra added zinc oxide. This trial shows that the correct application of additives and raw materials allows for the substitution of pharmaceutical levels of zinc oxide in transition feed for weaned piglets.

Read more about the ban on zinc oxide

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