Yucca schidigera in pigs, from sow to slurry
In pigs, the value of yucca can be seen at every stage of the cycle: farrowing and piglet survival, the balance of the intestinal microbiota during fattening, then the pig house environment and slurry nitrogen.
This page brings together three on-farm trials, with their quantified results: what was measured, what remains a trend, and what was not observed.
Pigs and nitrogen, from feed to slurry
In pig production, nitrogen management runs from formulation through to land spreading. Nitrogen ingested but not retained by the animal ends up in the slurry, where part of it volatilises as ammonia. This affects the pig house environment, respiratory health and the agronomic value of the effluent.
Ammonia comes from two processes: the mineralisation of organic nitrogen in faeces by proteolytic bacteria, and the hydrolysis of urinary urea by ureases. As urea hydrolysis is much faster, urine is the main source of emissions3.
Yucca is incorporated into the feed to capture ammonia and to support performance and health. Its main components are steroidal saponins, but glycocomponents and phenolic compounds are also thought to play a role2.
Yucca throughout the production cycle
Choose a stage: protocol, results compared with the control group, and the authors’ interpretation.
Fewer stillborn piglets and better piglet survival
Before birth, the piglet depends entirely on the sow for its nutrients and oxygen, via the placenta. A University of Illinois study (125 ppm of yucca, from five days before to three weeks after farrowing) had already reported fewer stillborn piglets and better postnatal survival, particularly in primiparous sows. The French trial set out to verify this under commercial conditions.
Yucca powder at 120 g/t in the sow feed, from one week before farrowing to three weeks into lactation. Farrowing synchronised at 113 days of gestation; 9 control litters, 10 yucca litters.
The differences are not significant: mortality increased in two or three sows of the treated group, which is enough to mask the effect. In the controls, 70% of stillborn piglets are born in the last third of farrowing; this proportion tends to decrease with yucca.
Piglets better able to fight the cold
Rapidly maintaining a stable, high body temperature is necessary for survival. Piglets born to supplemented sows have higher blood lactate: they produce more heat by shivering. They fight the cold more intensely, an advantage for postnatal survival.
Same trial as the previous stage. Rectal temperature measured at 1 h, 24 h, 7 days and 21 days of age; relationship between temperature at 24 h and birth weight analysed across all piglets.
The difference at 24 h is significant but small, and its physiological relevance remains limited. The clearest result concerns small piglets. The authors suggest that treating sows for longer than one week could enhance the benefits.
| Age | Control | Yucca | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | 38.12 °C | 38.00 °C | Not sig. |
| 24 hours | 38.79 °C | 38.95 °C | Significant |
| 7 days | 39.34 °C | 39.00 °C | Not sig. |
| 21 days | 39.15 °C | 39.19 °C | Not sig. |
Mortality halved, performance unchanged
On a commercial farm, the yucca group records half as many losses as the control group. Deaths were mainly of digestive origin (diarrhoea, enterotoxaemia), and it is on these disorders that the difference arises. Growth and feed conversion ratio are not affected.
576 Large White × Landrace × Piétrain pigs of 27.4 kg, in 6 rooms of 96 places on fully slatted floors, multiphase liquid feeding. Yucca schidigera powder (whole plant, more than 10% saponins) at 90 ppm, compared with an identical control feed.
The authors note a clear reduction in susceptibility to digestive disorders, to be confirmed given its economic importance. They observe no improvement in growth, unlike other trials conducted abroad.
Healthier air, slurry lower in nitrogen
In a Croatian pig fattening unit, adding yucca to the feed reduces airborne ammonia and microorganisms by around 30%, and CO₂ by half. In France, slurry from the yucca group contains less total and ammoniacal nitrogen.
Croatia: around 450 fattening pigs, partially slatted floors, yucca at 112 g/t of feed for 3 months [3]. France: slurry nitrogen measured at 30 and 60 days of fattening, yucca at 90 ppm [2].
Temperature, humidity and air speed were comparable between rooms (16.9 and 17.2 °C; 77 and 73% RH). In France, the reduction in airborne ammonia remains a trend, as the ventilation extracts gases from beneath the slats.
How yucca works in pigs
Nitrogen captured at source[3]
Yucca reduces ammonia more effectively as a feed additive than when added to slurry, where much larger quantities are needed. The key issue is urinary urea, whose hydrolysis by ureases is the main source of ammonia.
Support for the digestive microbiota[1]
The activity is attributed to saponins and glycocomponents. The proliferation of beneficial bacteria, Lactobacillus brevis and Bifidobacterium breve, is promoted, probably owing to the steroidal structure of the saponins. Antibacterial activity is reported against Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Salmonella enteritidis.
Thermoregulation in the newborn[1]
In piglets from supplemented sows, higher blood lactate reflects increased heat production through shivering. Small piglets benefit the most. Better oxygenation of piglets at birth had also been reported.
Less nitrogen excreted[2]
The reduction in total (−8.9%) and ammoniacal (−10%) nitrogen in the slurry could reflect a role of yucca in the transformation and breakdown of proteins, linked to its digestive effect. It is relevant to effluent management and manure spreading plans.
What these trials show, and what they do not
Our Yucca schidigera range, powder or liquid
In pig production, the powder is incorporated at the feed mill; the liquid offers flexibility on the farm, particularly via drinking water. Recommended doses are given in the technical data sheet.
Yucca and pigs: your questions
Does yucca improve growth in finishing pigs?
In the French field trial at 90 ppm, no: an ADG of 838 g/d versus 854 g/d, a feed conversion ratio of 2.97 versus 2.93, differences not significant. Other trials abroad report gains: zootechnical responses are variable. The clearest result of this trial concerns mortality.
What is the effect on ammonia in the pig house?
In Croatia, at 112 g/t of feed, airborne ammonia falls from 14.5 to 10.2 ppm (−30%). In France, the reduction remains a trend, as the ventilation extracts gases from beneath the slats. Yucca is more effective incorporated into the feed than added to slurry.
Why supplement the sow?
Before birth, the piglet depends on the sow for its nutrients and oxygen. With yucca in the sow feed, the INRA / INOBIO trial observed fewer stillborn piglets (trend) and warmer piglets at 24 h, especially the smallest. Treatment for longer than one week before farrowing could enhance the effect.
Which doses have been studied?
90 ppm in finishing pigs, 112 g/t during fattening, 120 g/t and 125 ppm in sows. Our recommendations for the Yucca Schidigera range, powder and liquid, are given in the technical data sheet.
Scientific literature
- Herpin P. (INRA), Demaegdt G. (INOBIO) (2000). Yucca gives smaller piglets a better start. Pig Progress, 16(5). Elsevier International.
- Chatelier C., Simon L. (2000). Impact zootechnique et environnemental du Yucca Schidigera dans l’alimentation du porc charcutier. Celtic Nutrition Animale, Rennes; Actifeed (formerly Inobio), Châteaubourg. Trial on a commercial farm.
- Vučemilo M., Tofant A., Hađina S., Barač D. (2004). Effect of Yucca schidigera extract, a feed additive, to reduce air pollutants in pig fattening units. International Society for Animal Hygiène, Saint-Malo, p. 83.
- Colina J.J., Lewis A.J., Miller P.S., Fischer R.L. (2001). Dietary manipulation to reduce aerial ammonia concentrations in nursery pig facilities. Journal of Animal Science, 79(12), 3096-3103.
- Cheeke P.R. (2000). Actual and potential applications of Yucca schidigera and Quillaja saponaria saponins in human and animal nutrition. Journal of Animal Science, 77(E-Suppl.), 1-10.
- Francis G., Kerem Z., Makkar H.P.S., Becker K. (2002). The biological action of saponins in animal systems: a review. British Journal of Nutrition, 88(6), 587-605.
Trial [2] was conducted with the participation of Actifeed (formerly Inobio), and trial [1] with INOBIO and INRA. Data presented for technical information purposes; they do not constitute product claims.