Is apple cider vinegar good for newborn piglets?

This project will investigate the affect of an oral neonatal dose of apple vinegar on incidence of piglet enteric health and microbiome.

An important component of gut defence is the establishment of a complex population of microbes in the intestine. These microbes come from the environment and can include disease causing bacteria.

Normally, a low pH in the stomach acts to limit bacterial passage to the intestines but in the immediate postpartum period, a piglet has no acid production. This can allow disease causing organisms to pass to the intestines.

Our study will look at supplying an acid (ascetic acid in unpasteurised apple vinegar) to newborn pigs to establish gut health and microbial populations.