Trial Results – Tonisity Complete First Trial in China

Summary:

Feeding Tonisity Px from days 2 to 8 and for 3 days pre-weaning resulted in:

• +410 g extra weaning weight (Controls=7.08 kg vs TPX=7.49 kg; P=0.01)
• 46% fewer fall-behinds at weaning (Controls=26%, TPX=14%; P=0.01)
• 43% more TPX pigs move to the top weight categories (P = 0.04) and 28% fewer TPX pigs (P = 0.07) move to the lower weight categories between day 2 and weaning
• 50% reduction in pre-weaning mortality (Controls=2.6%, TPX=1.3%; P=0.35)
• Feeding Tonisity Px to all piglets from day 2 to 8 of life and for 3 days pre-weaning brings an ROI of 5.5:1 based on fewer fall-behinds, lower mortality and higher weaning weights.

Tonisity is delighted to announce the completion of our first farm trial in China. The study was undertaken on a 500-sow commercial farm near Beijing. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of administering Tonisity Px in the farrowing house, on piglet weight gain from day two to weaning and on pre-weaning mortality.

Historically, the farm produces 2.25 litters per sow per year, with an average born alive of 11 pigs per litter. This farm has a very high health status and a very low pre-weaning mortality (less than 3%). Weaning is done at 21 days, with an average weight of 6.5-7.5kg. According to the protocol usually practiced in China, only piglets heavier than 1 kg at birth are kept under the sow. Milk replacers are not used but creep feeding is normally instigated around day 10.

34 litters were enrolled into the study, 17 for the control group, with 154 piglets and 17 for the Tonisity Px group (Px), which included 151 piglets.

• Pigs in the control group received 500ml of water per litter per day between days two and eight. From day nine to 11, creep feed was moistened with water, they received dry creep feed from day 12 to 18, and for three days at pre weaning, dry creep feed was mixed with water again at a ratio of one to one.
• Pigs in the Px group received 500ml of Tonisity Px solution from day two to eight. From day nine to 11, their creep feed was moistened with a Px solution of 20ml per 100g of feed. They received dry creep feed from days 12 to 18. For three days pre weaning, 500ml of Px solution was poured on top of dry creep feed at a ratio of one to one

The Tonisity Px group outperformed the control group across all parameters. At weaning, the average weight of the control group was 7.08kg, with the Px group weighing an extra 410g at an average of 7.49kg. This showed an extra average daily gain of 14g per day in the Px group. 43% more pigs moved up to top weight categories and 28% fewer pigs moved to lower weight categories between day two and weaning.

Overall, there was a 50% reduction in pre-weaning mortality when comparing the two groups (1.3% vs. 2.6% for the control group). There were 46% fewer fall behinds at weaning in the Px group (14% vs. 26%).

Feeding Tonisity Px to all piglets from day two to eight of life and for three days pre-weaning brought a return of investment of 5.5:1 based on fewer fall-behinds, lower mortality and higher weaning weights.