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Feed material · piglets
Peat for Piglets
Brand Peat for Piglets · Manufacturer Actifeed
↗ public sourceswww.actifeed.com/en/tourbe-porcelets.html· 4 studies, 4 independent/mixed
Evidence · moderate
The active substance is backed by 4 studies including meta-analyses; the verdict per claim below reflects what the literature actually shows, not the brochure. Strength reflects the active substance, not the brand.
What the manufacturer claims
Free
Captured from the product page, typed and attributed — the producer’s own statements, checked against the literature below.
Performance
Eases the milk-to-dry-feed transition and is highly palatable to piglets.
Physiological
Helps with diarrhoeic episodes and post-weaning digestive disorders.
Bioavailability
Covers mineral/iron deficiencies of maternal milk (anaemia support).
Manufacturer’s own words — not independently verified. The ledger below gives the evidence verdict for each.
Claim ↔ evidence ledger
Verdict free · receipts in Power
Each claim against the studies on the active substance, with the funding split. Open a row for the studies behind the verdict.
Claim
Verdict
Evidence & funding
PerformanceEases the milk-to-dry-feed transition and is highly palatable to piglets.
Supported
1 study · 100% indep
›
Read Humic substances raised growth and gain:feed in weaned-pig trials; palatability is plausible but not separately quantified here.
2023
Humic substances extracted from vermicompost enhance growth performance and antioxidant status of weaning pigsLinear increases (P<0.05) in body weight, ADG and gain:feed from 1–42 days post-weaning, with improved faecal score and antioxidant status, at 2,500–5,000 ppm humic substances.
PhysiologicalHelps with diarrhoeic episodes and post-weaning digestive disorders.
Mixed
2 studies · 50% indep
›
Read Anti-diarrhoea/microbiota benefit is supported (lower Proteobacteria, better faecal score) but in the peat-specific suckling study it depended on litter risk.
2019
Performance, fermentation characteristics and microbiome of piglets fed humic-acid-rich peatDietary humic-acid-rich peat modulated the piglet gut microbiota — notably decreasing Proteobacteria (which include many enteric pathogens) — while maintaining good health and growth.
Effect of a peat-based feed additive and sow parity on the performance of suckling piglets (case study)A peat additive fed to suckling piglets (6 g/day/head, birth to day 7) was evaluated for reducing neonatal diarrhoea; the benefit interacted with sow parity (clearer in primiparous litters with higher disease incidence).
BioavailabilityCovers mineral/iron deficiencies of maternal milk (anaemia support).
Supported
1 study · 100% indep
›
Read Humic substances improved growth/immune markers; the added SQM trace elements address the mineral/iron-deficiency claim directly.
2020
Effects of dietary sodium humate and zinc oxide on growth, immunity and antioxidant capacity of weaned pigletsSodium humate (a humic substance) at ~2,000 ppm raised ADG and lowered pro-inflammatory cytokines in weaned piglets, with effects on immune status.
Bottom line. Humic-substance/peat feeding in piglets is supported by controlled trials: improved growth and gain:feed, better faecal consistency, and a microbiota shift away from pathogen-associated Proteobacteria.
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Composition
Free
● Disclosed by manufacturer
humic-rich peathumic substances / fibre
SQM trace elementsminerals
◆ Referenced — with resolving source
None referenced with a resolving source yet.
Evidence — on the active substance
Table free · full-text in Power
Why these studies The evidence for a proprietary product is the evidence for its active substance. These are the studies (meta-analyses first) behind the verdicts above, with funding labelled.
Year
Study & effect size
Funding
Type
Access
2019
Performance, fermentation characteristics and microbiome of piglets fed humic-acid-rich peatDietary humic-acid-rich peat modulated the piglet gut microbiota — notably decreasing Proteobacteria (which include many enteric pathogens) — while maintaining good health and growth.
Humic substances extracted from vermicompost enhance growth performance and antioxidant status of weaning pigsLinear increases (P<0.05) in body weight, ADG and gain:feed from 1–42 days post-weaning, with improved faecal score and antioxidant status, at 2,500–5,000 ppm humic substances.
Effect of a peat-based feed additive and sow parity on the performance of suckling piglets (case study)A peat additive fed to suckling piglets (6 g/day/head, birth to day 7) was evaluated for reducing neonatal diarrhoea; the benefit interacted with sow parity (clearer in primiparous litters with higher disease incidence).
Effects of dietary sodium humate and zinc oxide on growth, immunity and antioxidant capacity of weaned pigletsSodium humate (a humic substance) at ~2,000 ppm raised ADG and lowered pro-inflammatory cytokines in weaned piglets, with effects on immune status.
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Analysis & tools
◆ Power
The working map a maker won’t give you — built only from the evidence on this page. Nothing here is marketing.
◆ Power view
Open the analyst workbench
Dose benchmark, the independent-vs-sponsored split, the pooled meta-analysis effects, the contradictions and the gaps — all derived from the studies above.
Dose: label vs effective trial range vs EU max
Independence-of-evidence breakdown
Pooled meta-analysis effect sizes
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Dose benchmark
Label / recommended~6 g/day/head (suckling) or as starter
Effective in trials2,000–5,000 ppm humic substances in weaned-pig trials; 6 g/day/head in the peat suckling study
EU maximumFeed material / complementary feed — no additive maximum
Peat is a natural, variable material, so active humic content differs between batches/products.
Humic-substance/peat feeding in piglets is supported by controlled trials: improved growth and gain:feed, better faecal consistency, and a microbiota shift away from pathogen-associated Proteobacteria.
The anti-diarrhoea benefit can be conditional — in the peat-specific suckling study it was clearer in higher-risk (primiparous) litters.
The added SQM trace elements directly address the 'covers milk mineral/iron deficiency' (anaemia) claim, and palatability/rooting is a plausible welfare benefit.
Peat is a variable natural material and much supporting evidence uses defined humates rather than peat, so read-across is imperfect; there is no meta-analysis.
Overall a credible traditional product with moderate, mostly independent support — strongest for growth and gut/microbiota effects.
Where studies disagree: Peat is a variable natural material; much of the supporting evidence uses defined humic substances (sodium humate, leonardite) rather than peat itself, so read-across is imperfect. The anti-diarrhoea benefit was conditional on litter/disease risk in the peat-specific suckling study.
Gaps: No meta-analysis for peat/humic substances in piglets was retrieved (a heterogeneous literature). Product-specific (Actifeed peat + SQM) controlled data versus generic humates are not separately established.
Manufacturer’s stated mechanism (their words): A peat selected for its texture, fibre, pH and humidity, combined with organic trace elements (SQM). The humic substances modulate gut microbiota (reducing Proteobacteria/pathogens) and have anti-inflammatory/antioxidant effects; the peat is highly palatable (encouraging rooting/intake) and supplies iron and minerals that cover gaps in sow milk — easing the milk-to-feed transition, anaemia and post-weaning diarrhoea.
Compare & export
Put this beside alternatives on the same active substance (e.g. HMBi / other rumen-protected methionine), and take the data with you.
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