Weaned pigs have many different and specific requirements for nutrients for growth, gut development and immunity; this early development influences performance later in its production cycle.
In addition, piglets on the sow consume milk consisting of 15% Dry Matter, and we expect them to be weaned onto an 85-90% Dry Matter feed. Water therefore becomes a very critical nutrient during the first week post-weaning. Optimum gut development supports wean-to-harvest performance (e.g. Pluske et al. 2005).
