Managing without pharmaceutical zinc in Danish pig production – insights from farmers and veterinarians

In June 2022, Danish authorities implemented the EU ban on ‘pharmaceutical levels of zinc oxide’ (pZnO) in pig herds to protect the environment from pollution from heavy metals. Following the ban, an increased use of antibiotics was seen, especially for treating post-weaning diarrhoea.

The study used joint semi-structured interviews with farmers (n = 10) and vets (n = 8) to explore the challenges encountered in Danish pig herds and the background for the increased use of antibiotics following the ban. Interviews were carried out between January and April 2024.

Interviewees explained how diarrhoea, general unthriftiness, increased use of antibiotics and problems with antibiotic resistance were often the consequences of not providing pZnO. The most common measures to protect pigs from postweaning diarrhoea were changes in feeding management to ensure a steady feed intake and to avoid high levels of protein. However, in many cases such changes did not offset the negative effects, and some herds continuously struggled with unthrifty pigs. Surprisingly, most vets could not explain the possible reason that some herds were relatively unaffected whilst others experienced severe problems.

The study sheds light on the restrictive systemic conditions in modern Danish pig farming and how they affect the possibilities for adapting to societal demands. Many agreed that extensive management measures like lowered stocking density and increased weaning age might enable weaning without pharmaceuticals, but these measures were generally considered too expensive. In addition to increased disease occurrence, the increased use of antibiotics was explained by regulatory frameworks and intentions to support a ‘smoothly running production’.