Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of live yeast supplementation on nursery pig performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal microflora and to determine whether live yeast could replace antibiotics and growth-promoting concentrations of Zn and Cu in nursery pigs. In Exp. 1, 156 pigs were weaned at 17 d of age (BW = 5.9 kg) and allotted to a 2 x 2 factorial randomized complete block design (six or seven pigs per pen with six pens per treatment). Factors consisted of 1) dietary supplementation with oat products (oat flour and steam-rolled oats; 0 or 27.7%) and 2) yeast supplementation at 0 or 1.6 x 10(7) cfu of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC47/g of feed. In Exp. 2, 96 pigs were weaned at 17 d of age and allotted to a 2 x 2 factorial randomized complete block design (four pigs per pen with six pens per treatment) with factors of 1) diet type (positive control containing growth-promoting concentrations of Zn, Cu, and antibiotics or negative control) and 2) live yeast supplementation (0 or 2.4 x 10(7) cfu of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC47/g of feed). The inclusion of oat products in Exp. 1 decreased (P < 0.10) overall ADG and final BW. Yeast supplementation did not affect growth performance of pigs in Exp. 1 (P = 0.65); however, ADG in Exp. 2 was 10.6% greater (P < 0.01) and ADFI was increased by 9.4% (P < 0.10) in pigs supplemented with yeast in the positive control diet. Addition of Zn, Cu, and antibiotics to the diet improved gain:feed ratio during the prestarter period (P < 0.02) and overall (P = 0.10). In Exp. 1, inclusion of oat products increased (P < 0.01) total bacteria in feces when measured on d 10. Fecal lactobacilli measured on d 28 were reduced (P < 0.05) in pigs fed diets with oat products and yeast (interaction, P < 0.05). In Exp. 2, yeast supplementation decreased (P < 0.05) total bacteria and lactobacilli. Dietary yeast resulted in a greater (P < 0.05) yeast count in feces of pigs during the starter phase of Exp. 1. Yeast decreased (P < 0.10) the digestibility of DM, fat, and GE in the prestarter phase and DM, fat, P, and GE in the starter phase, whereas oat products increased the digestibility of DM, CP, fat, and GE (P < 0.05) in the prestarter phase. Results indicate that live yeast supplementation had a positive effect on nursery pig performance when diets contained growth-promoting antimicrobials. Nonetheless, the response was variable, and the conditions under which a response might be expected need to be further defined.
Postweaning growth lag in baby pigs weaned at 28 d was studied by using three weaning stress treatments. Treatments consisted of a control in which pigs continued to nurse the dam, had access to a dry feed at 14 d of age and were not weaned until after the study. Pigs were adjusted to liquid and dry feeds at 14 d of age in Treatments 2 and 3, but sows were removed from the pens at 28 d of age in Treatment 2, whereas sows were removed and room temperature lowered to 13 degrees C in Treatment 3. In Treatment 4, sows were removed but pigs were fed the dry diet only from 28 d of age. Blood and tissue were collected and evaluated every 12 h for 48 h on slaughtered pigs and blood was sampled every 12 h for 132 h from pigs catheterized in the vena cava. Pigs weaned with a dry diet in Treatment 4 were the only pigs to lose weight (P less than .01) and have typical symptoms of postweaning growth lag. These pigs had the lowest (P less than .01) mean plasma glucose, highest (P less than .01) free fatty acids and the highest (P less than .05) cortisol concentrations. Their mean duodenal pH also was higher (P less than .01), whereas pigs given both milk and dry diets and stressed by weaning in a warm or cool room (Treatments 2 and 3) had lower (P less than .01) duodenal pH values than pigs continuing to nurse the sow. In this study, pigs having access to milk and dry diets prior to weaning had no adverse symptoms when the sow was removed regardless of whether or not they were exposed to cold after weaning. However, pigs that were abruptly weaned with a dry diet had slow growth, low plasma glucose, high free fatty acids and low liver glycogen.
Three experiments were conducted to evaluate levels and sources of dietary energy for growing-finishing pigs during cool and warm seasons. The specific objective was to determine the effect of lower energy diets containing more fiber during cooler temperatures. In Exp. 1, lower energy diets supported daily gains equal to those of pigs fed higher energy diets during low temperature trials, but gains were decreased (P less than .05) during high temperature trials. Feed conversion was improved with each increment of dietary energy and pigs were more efficient converters of feed during warm-season trials. Calorie utilization trends were not the same during cool and warm-season trials. Bermudagrass and alfalfa meal were used in lower energy diets in Exp. 2 and bermudagrass was used in lower energy diets in Exp. 3. Daily gains were not different in these trials, but trends in gain and feed conversion were similar to those in Exp. 1. In general, carcass traits did not differ significantly as a result of dietary treatment in these experiments. there was less (P less than .05) backfat on carcasses from low dietary energy groups during summer trials in Exp. 1 and 3. In all experiments, shoulder percentages were higher during warm-season trials. The data were combined with earlier data to illustrate dietary energy sources and levels and environmental temperature interactions and effects on average daily gain, and carcass traits. The response of gain, dressing, ham, belly and lean cut percentages as a function of metabolizable energy differed (P less than .05) between seasons. The effects of diet formulation and environmental temperature on growing pig performance and carcass traits are discussed.
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