Whey for fattening organic pigs (OK-Net Ecofeed Practice Abstract)

Summary in the original language of the document

Benefits
• Whey is a natural ingredient derived from fresh milk and is characterized by its high nutritive value, palatability, and digestibility.
• It promotes feed intake in the post-weaning period.
• Whey fosters animal performance and gut health.
• Whey contains high-quality protein. It can supply one-third of the protein needs for fattening pigs.
Practical recommendation
• Whey is a quite seasonal product; hence, this determines the period when it can be used and the number of pigs that can be fattened.
• Whey can deteriorate very easily; two storage tanks are needed for hygiene reasons.
• Do not feed whey stored over 2 days.
• Sweet whey is the by-product remaining after the production of soft cheeses, while acid whey comes from hard cheeses and has a lower pH. It is important to consider that salt is added to the cheese before pressing; hence, the remaining liquid whey can contain as much as 10 % dry matter of salt.
• Pigs should be provided with water access ad libitum to avoid salt toxicity. Additionally, reduction or elimination of supplemental salt in the diet formulation should be considered.
• Salt and lactose contents should be considered to determine the daily intake rate. Fresh whey contains approximately 5% lactose, and growing pigs tolerate feeds containing up to 20-30% lactose (less for the older ones). Hence, whey should be analysed to determine the threshold for its inclusion before formulating pig diets.