When piggy is not heavy enough to 30kg, adding citric acid to their daily food can effectively improve feed digestibility. The test has shown the following benefits of adding citric acid to the feed:
First, lower the PH value in piggy's intestines and stomach and reduce diarrhoeal morbidity rate. Citric acid can reduce the pH value of the diet, raise the acidity of the gastrointestinal tract, promote digestive enzyme activities and lactic acid bacteria breeding and inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and staphylococcus. When adding 0.7% or 1% of citric acid to piggy's daily food when the piggy is 42 days old, the PH value in its stomach can be reduced from 4.5 to 4.2 and 3.5. It can also significantly reduce the quantity of Escherichia coli in colon and rectum.
Second, improve the palatability of the daily food and promote the growth of the piggies. According to the test, adding 1%-2% citric acid to piggy's daily food can increase piggy's feed intake by 5.2% to 19.8%.
Third, used as the ingredient of diet and promote the metabolism of the piggy. Citric acid is an important ingredient in the grain , protein and fat metabolism. Adding citric acid to piggy's food can reduce piggy's energy consumed from glycogen gluconeogenesis and lipid hydrolyzation.
Fourth, prevent the oxidation of feed and ease piggy's weaning stress. Citric acid is a dietary antioxidant synergist. It's working mechanism is its blockade effect on the metallic ion in the feed. The blockade prevents the metallic ion from catalytic oxidation reaction. Besides, the food intake is not that much for weaning piggies at the early period, so the utilization rate of carbohydrate and protein feed is low. Therefore, the diarrhoeal morbidity rate and death rate are high. The citric acid in the feed can promote the secretion of gastric juice and digestive enzyme and effectively overcome the weaning stress of the piggies.