Effects of dietary supplementation with a carvacrol-cinnamaldehyde-thymol blend on growth performance and intestinal health of nursery pigs.

Background: Stress, herd transfer, and food changes experienced by nursery and fattening pigs can lead to reduced performance, reduced digestion and absorption, and impaired intestinal health. Given the role of essential oils in relieving stress and improving animal welfare, we hypothesized that essential oils may improve pig performance via promoting gut health and gut homeostasis laid by EOs supplementation during nursery continuously impacts performance in fattening pigs.

Results: A total of 100 piglets (Landrace × Large White; weighted 8.