Do fermented herbal extracts affect pig behavior, health and productivity? An on-farm study
Natalia Nöllenburg, Barbara Metzler-Zebeli, Katharina Schobersberger, Christoph Winckler, Christine Leeb · 2026
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Description
Natalia Nöllenburg and co-authors tested a fermented herbal extract in pigs on working farms in a 2026 study. Breathing problems and tail biting are common welfare issues in pig rearing. A fermented mix of herbs with lactobacilli and yeasts might calm both without drugs.
Two Austrian welfare label farms raised pigs with intact tails across three batches spanning all seasons, with matched pens on plain or supplemented feed. At the end of rearing, supplemented pigs had far fewer shortened tails, which hints at less tail biting. During fattening they also coughed and sneezed less in farm observations, though slaughter checks of the airways showed no difference. Growth measures were recorded throughout. The authors see promise worth further study.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Natalia Nöllenburg, Barbara Metzler-Zebeli, Katharina Schobersberger, Christoph Winckler, Christine Leeb |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 46 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |