Farmscape for May 13, 2022

A multi-institutional research effort is focusing on the gut of the pig in hopes of ultimately finding ways to shift the gut microbiome to a more beneficial balance.
Researchers with the Universities of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Guelph in partnership with Swine Innovation Porc, Calpis, Cargill, Phileo, and Evonik are examining the gut microbiome in an effort to improve swine health and productivity.
Dr. Bonita McCuaig, a postdoctoral research fellow with University of Saskatchewan, says a balanced gut microbiome helps digest food, provides vitamins and can help stop pathogens from overrunning the gut and causing disease.

Clip-Dr. Bonita McCuaig-University of Saskatchewan:
The main goals are to determine the role of sow factors such as the sow feeds, the sow's microbiome and management and how that changes the colonization of the piglet's gut because sow is what presents bacteria to the piglet when it's very young.
Then we want to follow through during different production stages so we check the microbiome right before weaning, shortly after weaning and then near market weight.
We want to characterize a healthy progression of bacteria because you need different bacteria if you are living off of milk than when they move to solid food.
Then Guelph is also looking at trying to identify the pig genes that affect what bacteria colonize as well.
My main goal is to try and identify bacteria that are beneficial or harmful to piglet health or performance.
Hopefully we can identify that when they are young and then further research will allow us to find ways to shift the microbiome to a more beneficial balance.

Dr. McCuaig says early results suggest health outcomes are linked to the microbiome in young piglets and it does look like it will be possible to identify some bacteria that are beneficial.
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Bruce Cochrane.

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