Date: 21/05/2025

For 2025, ABPA projects a growth of up to 1% in pork production in Brazil, with an estimated volume of 5.25 million tons. In one year, exports are expected to grow 3.8% and could reach 1.37 million tons. This scenario of continuous expansion reinforces the need for nutritional optimization at all stages of production, especially during the weaning period, one of the most critical points in piglet development.

The dietary transition at this stage involves digestive, immunological and behavioral challenges that require precise formulation solutions. Functional ingredients with high digestibility and sensory appeal are essential to ensure early consumption, preserve intestinal integrity and sustain zootechnical performance.

Among the promising alternatives, enzymatic feather hydrolysate stands out for its peptide composition, digestive efficiency and stimulus to consumption.

In this article, we explore the benefits of this functional ingredient and present the results of BioActio Efficiency, a BRF Ingredients solution validated in weaned piglets.

Topics:

Nutritional challenges in weaning piglets and the importance of digestibility

Weaning is considered one of the most physiologically and productively challenging events in pig farming. It is a time when the piglet is separated from its mother, its main source of food and the environment to which it was adapted (Hotzel & Filho, 2004).

This disruption causes stress, a drop in passive immunity and increased susceptibility to respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological diseases. In high prolificacy systems, the impact is even more significant, as it is directly linked to the productive efficiency and survival of the animals.

During this period, the piglet's gastrointestinal tract is still developing, which limits its ability to digest and absorb ingredients such as corn and soybean meal.

According to Huaynate et al. (2003), this digestive immaturity reduces the efficient use of nutrients, compromising growth and favoring enteric disorders. In addition, voluntary feed consumption tends to be low in the first few days after weaning, which accentuates the nutritional challenge (Le Dividiche & Séve, 2000).

Over the years, it has become clear that age at weaning directly influences performance and feed intake. Piglets weaned at older ages consume more and face the feed transition more easily (Leibbrandt et al., 1975).

Even so, specific nutritional strategies are essential to improve the animals' adaptation. According to Dong (2007), animals that consume adequate feed after weaning are more willing to face possible health problems, so stimulating consumption and offering diets with high digestibility is essential to reduce the negative impacts of this phase.

In this scenario, the use of protein ingredients with high biological value and less structural complexity, such as those obtained through enzymatic hydrolysis, becomes a viable alternative, since they require less digestive effort, are quickly absorbed in the small intestine and contribute to enteric stability. They therefore play an essential role in formulating safe and efficient diets for pigs that require specific nutrition for each stage of life.

Enzymatic Feather Hydrolysate and its use as a functional ingredient

Poultry feathers represent a significant fraction of the solid waste generated at slaughter, corresponding to approximately 8% of the animal's live weight (da Silva, 2018; Li, 2019).

Composed almost entirely of keratin, a type of highly resistant fibrous protein, these structures have around 90% crude protein, but low solubility and digestibility, which limits their direct use as a protein source in monogastric diets (da Silva Scapim, 2003).

Because it has a low level of digestibility due to the high concentration of keratin, feather meal requires specific processing technologies. With the advance of hydrolysis methods, especially enzymatic ones, it has become possible to transform this waste into a functional ingredient, with better nutritional use.

By using specific enzymes, enzymatic hydrolysis reduces the need for aggressive heat treatment, improves the release of amino acids and increases protein bioavailability, while at the same time reducing the energy cost of the process (Korniłłowicz-Kowalska, 2011).

The principle of hydrolysis consists of breaking down the protein in an aqueous medium, forming smaller peptides or free amino acids, which favors digestion and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Digestibility, in this context, becomes a fundamental technical indicator, as it determines the real nutritional value of the ingredient, i.e. the fraction of the protein that can be degraded by digestive enzymes and effectively absorbed (Schmidt, 2008).

To ensure the efficiency of the process, the characterization of the hydrolysate must take into account parameters such as crude protein content, degree of hydrolysis and digestibility, which are essential both for industrial quality control and for formulating balanced, safe and efficient feeds.

Based on these technological improvements, Enzymatic Feather Hydrolysate is moving away from the old view that it was a barely usable by-product and is now occupying a relevant place as a functional ingredient in high-performance diets, especially in critical phases such as weaning.

Benefits of using Feather Hydrolysate in pig feed

The use of enzymatic feather hydrolysate in pig feed, especially during weaning, offers functional advantages that go beyond protein intake.

Below are the main benefits observed with the use of this ingredient in formulations for young piglets:

High acceptability and digestibility

The peptide structure resulting from the enzymatic hydrolysis process favors the solubility of the ingredient, facilitating its degradation and absorption in the immature gastrointestinal tract of piglets. In addition, the compounds released during the process can contribute to a more attractive sensory profile, which stimulates consumption during a period of low voluntary intake. The combination of these factors results in better nutritional utilization and weight gain support in the first few weeks after weaning.

Immunomodulation

Bioactive peptides present in the hydrolysate can act as modulators of the immune response, which is particularly important in phases of high health vulnerability. By promoting the integrity of the intestinal mucosa and stimulating local defense mechanisms, the ingredient helps to reduce the incidence of enteric disorders, improving the physiological stability of the animals.

Improved feed conversion

High digestibility and a concentrated profile of functional amino acids contribute to more efficient use of nutrients, which is directly reflected in better feed conversion. Lower digestive requirements and greater availability of absorbable substrates reduce metabolic losses and favour zootechnical performance, optimizing the economic return on the formulation.

BioActio Efficiency: Feather Hydrolysate with validated performance in weaned piglets

With an integrated production chain and more than 90 years of history, BRF stands out globally in the food and nutrition sector. It is from this solid base that BRF Ingredients develops high-performance solutions, combining technology, sustainability and total use of raw materials.

BioActio Efficiency, from the Animal Nutrition portfolio, is an enzymatic hydrolysate of chicken feathers that adds value to a by-product and transforms it into a highly functional ingredient.

With a high crude protein content and digestibility, the ingredient stands out due to its composition of low molecular mass bioactive peptides, which are absorbed more quickly and have multiple absorption pathways in the digestive tract.

The result is a solution that combines cost-effectiveness, nutritional performance and functionality for different animal species.

In the specific case of pigs, the high sensory attractiveness of BioActio Efficiency was validated in a study conducted by the University of São Paulo (USP). When compared to a controlled diet, the ingredient showed an 87% preference rate for weaned piglets, indicating its effectiveness in stimulating food consumption in one of the most challenging phases of the animal's development.

Final considerations

The inclusion of ingredients with high digestibility and attractiveness is fundamental for nutritional success in the weaning phase of piglets. This period, marked by physiological stress, a drop in immunity and low voluntary intake, requires technical formulations that favor early consumption, promote intestinal integrity and sustain zootechnical performance.

Enzymatic Feather Hydrolysate has emerged as a strategic solution in this scenario. By transforming a low-use co-product into a functional ingredient, the hydrolysis process generates a soluble protein source, rich in bioactive peptides and with a nutritional profile adjusted to the digestive requirements of young piglets.

BioActio Efficiency translates this technology into practical results. With performance validated in field trials and excellent acceptance by weaning pigs, the ingredient represents BRF Ingredients' commitment to delivering high-performance, traceable nutritional solutions adapted to the challenges of efficient nutrition for each species.

To follow more technical content, innovations and applications from the Animal Nutrition portfolio, follow BRF Ingredients on social media, we are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.