How Tonisity Px Drives Heavier Piglets at Weaning and Through the Nursery
Piglets receiving Tonisity Px were significantly heavier at weaning than piglets receiving water alone, and that weight advantage did not fade during the nursery period. In a commercial farm study in France, the improvement was driven primarily by medium- and heavy-weight piglets, which make up the majority of any litter. A secondary benefit of the programme was a meaningful reduction in fall-behind pigs.
The core result: a weaning weight advantage that lasts into the nursery
At weaning, piglets in the Tonisity Px group averaged 6.50 kg, compared with 5.76 kg in the control group:
+740 g additional weight at weaning
13% improvement in average weaning weight
Statistically significant, P=0.01 (768 piglets evaluated)
This advantage was not a short-term effect. At the end of the nursery period (approximately 60 days of age), Tonisity Px pigs still weighed more than controls, 22.41 kg versus 21.32 kg:
+1.09 kg additional weight at the end of nursery
5% improvement in nursery weight
Statistically tendency, P=0.09 (725 pigs evaluated)
In other words, the weight gained around weaning was not lost during the nursery transition, it persisted, and in absolute terms grew larger by the end of the period.
Driven by the medium- and heavy-weight majority of the litter
The most important detail behind these results: the advantage was not concentrated in the smallest piglets. Piglets were split into three categories by day-two weight, light (below 1 kg), medium (1–1.6 kg), and heavy (above 1.6 kg) and medium- and heavy-weight piglets together made up more than 90% of the study population.
Weaning weight by category (Tonisity Px vs control):
Category | Tonisity Px | Control | Difference |
Light (<1 kg) | 4.77 kg | 4.55 kg | +220 g |
Medium (1–1.6 kg) | 6.19 kg | 5.57 kg | +620 g |
Heavy (>1.6 kg) | 7.60 kg | 6.45 kg | +1.15 kg |
End-of-nursery weight by category:
Category | Tonisity Px | Control | Difference |
Light (<1 kg) | 19.0 kg | 18.7 kg | +300 g |
Medium (1–1.6 kg) | 21.6 kg | 20.7 kg | +900 g |
Heavy (>1.6 kg) | 24.7 kg | 23.0 kg | +1.70 kg |
Differences reached statistical significance for medium piglets at weaning, and for heavy piglets at both weaning and end of nursery. Results in the other category comparisons were numerical but did not reach statistical significance.
This matters for how the programme should be evaluated: because medium- and heavy-weight piglets represent the bulk of the population, supporting the whole litter, not just the smallest piglets, is what produced most of the overall weight improvement.
A secondary result: fewer fall-behind pigs
Alongside the weight advantage, the study also measured full-value pigs, those above a 4.7 kg weaning-weight threshold, with the bottom 15% of the distribution classified as fall-behinds.
59% fewer fall-behind pigs in the Tonisity Px group
90.9% of Px piglets classified as full-value pigs, versus 77.8% in the control group
131 additional full-value pigs per 1,000 weaned
Statistically significant, P=0.005
While this uniformity benefit is valuable, fewer animals requiring extra time, space or management it follows from the same underlying mechanism as the primary result: a stronger weaning weight across the litter, concentrated in the medium- and heavy-weight majority, naturally lifts more piglets above the full-value threshold.
Study design
Study 23-072-P-P was conducted on a 450-sow farm in France using DanBred genetics, with a weekly farrowing system, an average of 18.3 piglets born alive per litter, and an average weaning age of approximately 25 days. The study ran across three production batches, with Tonisity Px and control groups represented in every batch and farrowing room. Piglets were individually tagged and weighed on day two, at weaning, and at approximately 60 days of age.
Tonisity Px protocol used in the study:
Day 2–8 of life: 600 ml of Tonisity Px solution per litter per day (round piglet feeder; litters averaged more than 14 piglets)
Three days before weaning: Tonisity Px provided again
After weaning: 100 ml per pig per day for three days
Control group received water in matching quantities and on the same schedule
Takeaway for producers
An effective pre- and post-weaning nutritional strategy shouldn't focus only on the smallest piglets. Because medium- and heavy-weight piglets make up most of any litter, supporting the whole population is what drives the largest gains in weaning weight, and based on this study, that advantage can carry through the nursery period.
Key results at a glance:
+740 g additional weight at weaning (+13%, P=0.01)
+1.09 kg additional weight at end of nursery (+5%, P=0.09)
Largest weight gains in medium- and heavy-weight piglets (>90% of the population)
Secondary benefit: 59% fewer fall-behind pigs, 131 more full-value pigs per 1,000 weaned
Want to learn how Tonisity Px could fit into your farm's pre- and post-weaning programme? Contact the Tonisity team or your local distributor for further information.
Results are based on Tonisity Study 23-072-P-P, conducted under the conditions of one commercial farm in France. Individual farm results may vary.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tonisity Px improve weaning weight for all piglet sizes, or just the smallest ones?
All three weight categories (light, medium, heavy) showed a weaning-weight advantage with Tonisity Px, but the largest absolute gains were in medium (+620 g) and heavy (+1.15 kg) piglets, which also make up the majority of the population.
Does the weaning weight advantage last through the nursery period?
Yes. At the end of the nursery period (~60 days of age), Tonisity Px pigs were still 1.09 kg heavier on average than control pigs, a 5% improvement that built on the weaning-weight advantage rather than fading.
Does Tonisity Px also reduce the number of fall-behind pigs?
Yes, as a secondary benefit: the study recorded 59% fewer fall-behind pigs and 131 additional full-value pigs per 1,000 weaned in the Tonisity Px group.
Autor:
Stefan Buzoianu, PhD
Technical Director – Livestock and Applied Research | Tonisity
Stefan Buzoianu is a veterinarian, animal health researcher and Technical Director – Livestock and Applied Research at Tonisity. He holds a PhD in Animal Health and has extensive experience in applied research, experimental design, statistical analysis, intestinal health and animal nutrition.
Since joining Tonisity in 2018, Stefan has contributed to the evaluation of more than 200 trials and studies, supporting the scientific validation of nutritional strategies for pigs and young ruminants across diverse commercial production systems.
His work focuses on translating scientific research into practical, evidence-based solutions for livestock producers, with particular expertise in early-life nutrition, intestinal function, animal performance and the development and validation of on-farm nutritional protocols
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