Zeolites for pigs and cattle in Preveza [Photos]

In the presentation below, you can see photographs of natural zeolite being used in the feed and in the environment of pigs and cattle at a livestock farm in Preveza.

The use of natural zeolite in pigs and cattle yields significant results in meat and milk production respectively. It helps to control odours caused by ammonia and hydrogen sulphide and improves the environment. It thus promotes good animal health. It aids their metabolism, resulting in an improvement in the feed conversion ratio (FCR). Furthermore, due to its agglomerating action, it reduces diarrhoea scores in animals.

All of the above is confirmed by the international literature on the use of natural zeolite in pig and cattle farming, as we shall see below.

In 2004, Papaioannou, at the School of Veterinary Medicine of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, conducted an experiment in which growing pigs were fed zeolite and antibiotics in various combinations. The diets were administered from weaning at 25 days of age until the pigs reached market weight at 161 days of age. From days 25 to 70, body weight gain and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) improved significantly in pigs receiving additional clinoptilolite. Furthermore, diarrhoea scores in weaned piglets decreased from 0.93 to 0.66 with the administration of 2% clinoptilolite.

Similarly, Prvulovic, in 2007, reported a 7 per cent increase in body weight and a 1.4 per cent improvement in feed conversion ratio (FCR) in growing pigs. These pigs were fed diets supplemented with clinoptilolite at a rate of just 0.5 per cent by weight during the growing period.

Previously, in a 1988 study, Pond reported that body weight increased by 14.3 per cent and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 2.9% as a result of feeding a diet containing 2% clinoptilolite to growing pigs.

In a more recent study, Alexopoulos, in 2007, compared the performance of pigs fed a diet containing 2% clinoptilolite with that of pigs fed an unsupplemented control diet, from 25 days of age until market weight at 161 days of age. He reported a 5.3 per cent improvement in weight gain for the pigs that received clinoptilolite. Furthermore, the effect was greater in younger pigs than in older ones.

Finally, Shurson, Poulsen and Oksbjerg reported in a study in 1985 that the amount of nitrogen excreted in the faeces was significantly higher, whilst nitrogen excretion in urine was lower in pigs fed with zeolites.

Read Papaioannou’s study here on our website.

Read Prvulovic’s study here on our website.

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