The objective of this study was to determine the effect of supplemental milk replacer on sow and litter performance. The study was conducted in 12 farrowing groups (171 litters) over a 3.5-yr period (October 1990 to April 1994). Commercial milk replacer was prepared fresh daily (150 g/L) and offered with ad libitum access in the farrowing crates within 24 h of parturition and was continued through weaning (d 21). Average pig weight (control, 5.5 kg/pig; supplemented, 6.4 kg/pig; P < .001) and total litter weight (control, 52.2 kg/litter; supplemented, 60.9 kg/litter; P < .001) at weaning were greater for litters receiving supplemental milk replacer. There was no effect (P > .2) of supplemental milk replacer on feed intake, backfat thickness, or body weight loss in the sow. Consumption of milk replacer varied greatly among litters. A portion of this variation in intake was accounted for by differences in ambient temperature among farrowing groups. Average milk replacer intakes (liters per pig) from birth to d 21 were 2.5 L/pig (.375 kg dry matter) and 9.9 L/pig (1.49 kg dry matter) for pigs born during the cool and warm seasons, respectively (P < .001). The weaning weight advantage conferred by milk replacer was most evident during the warmer months. Sow feed intakes averaged 5.8 and 3.9 kg/d over the same periods (P < .001). These results demonstrate the advantage of milk replacer on weaning weight and indicate that the greatest benefit from the supplement is during the warmer months when sow feed intake and subsequent milk production are lower.

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of tylosin phosphate (TP) on energy and nutrient digestibility and flow through the gastrointestinal tract in growing pigs fed corn-soybean meal or corn-soybean meal-distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) based diets. Eighteen barrows (initial BW = 32.6 ± 1.2 kg) were surgically fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and allotted to a Youden square design with 6 diets and 3 replicate periods. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial: TP (0 vs. 44 mg/kg) and DDGS (0 vs. 25%). Two N-free dietary treatments (0 vs. 44 mg/kg TP) were also included for determining basal ileal endogenous AA losses (IAAend) and the effect of TP on basal IAAend. Replicate periods included 4 d of adaptation to treatments and 2 sampling periods. Fecal collection occurred on d 5 and 6 and ileal digesta collection occurred on d 7 and 8 for sampling period 1 whereas sampling period 2 included fecal collection on d 11 and 12 and ileal digesta collection on d 13 and 14. Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) were calculated for DM, energy, and NDF. The AID and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA were calculated. Inclusion of DDGS reduced AID (68.0 vs. 72.8%; P < 0.001) and ATTD (79.9 vs. 85.0%; P < 0.001) of energy. There were no effects of TP on energy digestibility. The DDGS inclusion increased the amount of GE (1.47 vs. 1.18 Mcal/kg DMI; P < 0.001) and NDF (94 vs. 60 g/kg DMI; P < 0.001) remaining at the terminal ileum; however, hindgut disappearance of energy (0.55 vs. 0.53 Mcal/kg DMI) and NDF (13 vs. 15 g/kg DMI) was similar between the corn-soybean meal-DDGS and corn-soybean meal based diets. There were no effects of TP on basal IAAend; therefore, SID AA values were calculated using means of the 2 N-free diets. The SID of Lys (79.6 vs. 84.1%; P < 0.001) and all other indispensible AA, except Leu, was lower in the DDGS diets. Inclusion of TP did not influence SID of AA. In conclusion, under the conditions of this experiment, TP did not affect digestibility of AA or the digestibility and gastrointestinal tract flow of energy and the inclusion of DDGS did not affect the response to TP.

The objective of this study was to determine if a higher-fiber diet alters the response of finishing pigs to an antimicrobial (tylosin phosphate [TP]) and a nutrient partitioning agent (ractopamine HCl [RAC]) in terms of N and water utilization and energy digestibility. Seventy-two gilts (initial BW = 107.4 ± 4.2 kg) were blocked by weight and allotted to 1 of 8 dietary treatments. Treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial: distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS; 0 vs. 30%), RAC (0 mg of RAC/kg and 0.70% standardized ileal digestible [SID] Lys vs. 5 mg of RAC/kg and 0.95% SID Lys) and TP (0 vs. 44 mg of TP/kg). Pig was the experimental unit, with 9 replications per treatment. Pigs were housed in individual metabolism crates and fed treatment diets for 17 d. Feed was provided twice daily, as much as the pigs could consume within 1 h per meal, and water was provided to the pigs between feeding periods, ad libitum. Fecal and urine collection occurred on d 7 and 8 and on d 15 and 16, for sampling periods 1 and 2, respectively. Pigs fed the DDGS diets had reduced ADG ( < 0.001) and ADFI ( < 0.0001). The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of N and GE were lower for the 30% DDGS diets than the 0% DDGS diets ( < 0.0001). Ractopamine improved ADG ( < 0.0001), G:F ( < 0.0001), and N retention ( < 0.001) and tended to increase daily water intake ( < 0.10). Pigs fed RAC had higher N intake and urinary excretion and lower N retention in Period 2 than in Period 1 ( < 0.05), indicating a decline in the response to RAC over time. Tylosin phosphate did not affect ADFI or G:F but did improve ATTD of N ( < 0.05). There was a tendency for a TP × DDGS interaction ( < 0.10) for ADG, where TP tended to increase ADG in pigs fed 0% DDGS diets ( < 0.10) but not in pigs fed 30% DDGS diets ( > 0.10). Pigs fed DDGS diets had higher N intake ( < 0.01) and higher fecal ( < 0.0001) and urinary ( < 0.01) N excretion with no difference in N retention (g/d). Overall, RAC increased N retention by 33% ( < 0.0001) and the response to RAC was similar in both corn-soybean meal-based and corn-soybean meal-DDGS-based diets. Tylosin phosphate tended to improve growth performance in pigs fed corn-soybean meal-based diets but not in diets containing 30% DDGS; however, this response was not explained by changes in N balance or in energy digestibility.

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