Summer conditions consistently challenge finishing pig performance. Reduced feed intake, increased oxidative stress, and compromised gut function can quickly erode feed efficiency and profitability during the grow-finish phase. As producers push heavier market weights, nutritional strategies that support gut health and metabolic efficiency become increasingly important. Digestarom® Finish was developed to help finishers maintain performance and efficiency under these conditions.

Selected ingredients

Digestarom® Finish contains a combination of herbs, extracts, and essential oils that effectively support antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects and enhances gut integrity [1,2]. Gut microbiota modulation has been shown by using Digestarom [3]. Essential oils selectively target bacteria to provide competitive exclusion and provide energy to intestinal cells by increasing short chain fatty acids production.

Essential oil content in plants varies depending on factors including climate, soil, health status and developmental stage of plants. For example, thymol content in oregano is variable among different oregano sources. It is important to guarantee a consistent content of bioactive components in the products.

Therefore, dsm-firmenich QA & QC team identifies substances by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to meet the exact specifications of the final products.

Market more hogs using Digestarom® Finish

A meta-analysis encompassing 10 research trials demonstrated that pigs fed Digestarom® Finish achieved an average 2.73% improvement in feed efficiency relative to controls. Improvements of this magnitude during the finishing phase can significantly reduce feed cost per unit of gain, an effect that becomes even more valuable under summer heat stress conditions. Additionally, a few studies show that the product has improved carcass characteristics. Mendoza et al. 2018 reported that Digestarom Finish positively affected pork meat quality by improving cook loss and flavor [5].  

Application

The product is designed to enhance the gut health of grow-finish pigs by providing antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties; therefore, it is recommended to apply the product as early as possible (~50 lbs. to market weight) for the best outcome.