A 76-day study compared tannin-supplemented and control diets in two commercial weaning units.
The trial involved 160 weaned pigs
A study published on 6 October 2026 in the Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology followed 160 weaned piglets in two commercial weaning units. At each unit, 40 piglets received a control diet and 40 received the same diet with a chestnut and quebracho tannin blend at 2 grams per kilogram of feed. The 76-day trial recorded weight, faecal scores and samples at several points after weaning.
A diarrhoea difference appeared at one unit
Across the full weaning period, the tannin diet did not change overall growth performance. On day 49, diarrhoea occurrence was lower in the tannin group at the second unit, W2; the study did not report the same result at W1. Faecal analysis also identified treatment-related microbial and metabolite patterns, including urolithins. The reported bacterial associations have not yet been confirmed by functional experiments.