Effects of deep-bedding floor and fermented feed supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiome in Thai native crossbred pigs https://doi.org/10.12982/VIS.2027.002

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Published: Aug 25, 2026
Keywords:
Deep bedding system Fermented banana stem Gut microbiota Thai native crossbred pig

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Patipan Hnokaew
Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Korawan Sringarm
Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Phongsakorn Chuammitri
Veterinary Bioscience Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand
Apinya Satsook
Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Niraporn Chaiwang
Division of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Chiang Mai 50330, Thailand
Watcharapong Wattanakul
Division of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Chiang Mai 50330, Thailand
Marninphan Thongkham
Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Kulisara Marupanthorn
Division of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Chiang Mai 50330, Thailand
Chompunut Lumsangkul
Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung City 40227, Taiwan
Chaiwat Arjin
Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Abstract

The gut microbiota is crucial for maintaining pig’s nutritional, physiological, and immunological functions, as well as enhancing pig productivity. Meanwhile, native crossbred pigs are particularly important to smallholders in many countries in Southeast Asia; they are often raised on a deep little or deep bedding system, and the main traditional feed resources are fermented agricultural by-products like banana stem, but knowledge about the gut microbiota of these native pigs is still lacking. The specific breed, bedding system, and fermented feed may result in a difference from the conventional pig's gut microbiota. The results of this study clarify the community of microbiota in the pig manure of pigs reared on deep bedding systems and understand the relationships between the deep bedding system, fermented feed, and the microbiota of Thai native crossbred pigs. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of bedding type and fermented feed supplement on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiota of Thai native crossbred pigs. Thirty-two Thai native crossbred pigs were arranged in a 2x2 factorial experiment in a completely randomized design. Factor A was deep bedding (DP) or concrete bedding (C) system. Factor B was diet type of concentrate feed supplemented with a fresh banana stem (BS) or fermented banana stem (FBS). Cecal contents samples were collected after 120 days of raising for bacterial DNA extraction. Sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA amplicons was used to profile the gut microbiome, and analyses were performed on QIIME2. No differences between the factors of both treatments and their interactions on alpha (Chao1, Shannon, Simpson) and beta diversity (unweighted UniFrac distance metrics) were found. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Spirochetes were the three most abundant phyla for all treatments, and pigs reared on deep bedding system had a higher abundance of Solitalea, Paraprevotella, Sphingobacterium, and Phascolarctobacterium genera than pigs reared on concrete bedding system (P < 0.05), while Lactobacillus genus was higher than in pigs reared on concrete bedding system (P < 0.05). In addition, the average daily gain and final weight of pigs raised on concrete bedding system were found to be significantly higher than those of pigs raised on deep bedding system (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study suggests raising native crossbred pigs on a deep bedding system and fermented banana stem supplement can reduce environmental impact, feed costs, and improve microbial community for pig manure composting.

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Hnokaew, P., Sringarm, K., Chuammitri, P., Satsook, A., Chaiwang, N., Wattanakul, W., Thongkham, M., Marupanthorn, K., Lumsangkul, C., & Arjin, C. (2026). Effects of deep-bedding floor and fermented feed supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiome in Thai native crossbred pigs: https://doi.org/10.12982/VIS.2027.002. Veterinary Integrative Sciences, 25(1), 1–18. retrieved from https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/vis/article/view/281929
Issue
Vol. 25 No. 1 (2027): January-April
Section
Research Articles
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