Effect of mannan oligosaccharides (Bio-Mos) and outdoor access housing on pig growth, feed efficiency and carcass composition

Abstract

The present study was conducted as a 3 × 2 factorial experiment in 7 pen replications conducted using progeny (n = 360) of successive farrowings of 1 Landrace breeding female population. Grower-finisher dietary treatments included the addition of Bio-Mos (BM; at 0.2, 0.1 and 0.05% inclusion rates for phase 1 (30.2 to 63.5 kg), 2 (63.5 to 90.5 kg), and 3 (90.5 to 113.6 kg), respectively), the inclusion of a subtherapeutic antibiotic (AB; tetracycline; at 0.0055% inclusion rate in all dietary phases) and a no additive control (CON) diet. Housing systems were a conventional, indoor (IN) facility providing 1.0 m(2)/pig solid concrete and 0.3 m(2)/pig slatted floor with 12 pigs per pen and an outdoor access (OUT) system providing 1.1 m(2)/pig indoor, bedded concrete, and 1.9 m(2)/pig outdoor solid concrete with 6 pigs per pen. Housing systems analyses acknowledge confounding of space with number of pigs per pen. Daily growth rate (ADG), feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion (G:F), ultrasonic carcass composition, blood hematocrit (1 group), and observed illnesses were measured. Dietary × housing treatment interactions were not observed. Pigs reared in OUT had greater ADFI (0.1 kg/d; P = 0.01) resulting in greater ADG (0.04 kg/d; P < 0.0005) and required fewer days to reach a standard 113.6 kg endpoint (4.0 d; P < 0.0005) but had reduced (poorer) G:F (0.01 kg gain/kg feed; P = 0.05) when compared to IN. Pigs fed BM and CON diets had greater ADG (0.02 kg/d; P < 0.05) and required 3 fewer days to 113.6 kg (P < 0.05) when compared with pigs fed AB. Carcass composition measures were not different across dietary or housing treatments. Hematocrit was 2 units greater (P < 0.05) at the end of the trial (d 84) for OUT housed pigs but not different at the start, d 28, or d 56 of the trial. In the present study, the addition of a subtherapeutic antibiotic in swine finisher diets did not improve pig growth, efficiency, or health whereas the addition of BM did not increase growth performance compared to the CON diet in both housing systems, a finding suggesting the potential for improved gut health and or improved appetite in pigs not fed an antibiotic. Whereas pigs reared OUT had greater growth rate and a more desirable hematocrit level, the observed differences may be attributed to stocking density, number of pigs per pen, or outdoor access, effects that are not able to be fully described under the experimental design.

Effect of mannan oligosaccharide supplementation on blood and intestinal immune cells, bacteria numbers and performance in weaned pigs

“…The influence of dietary MOS on growth performance, with the exception of increased body weight in the MOS-treated pigs at d 28 of the experiment, was in agreement with findings of those authors who reported that the supplement did not promote growth and feed efficiency in weaned pigs (White et al 2002;Wenner et al 2013), but contrasted with the authors who observed improved average daily gain in pigs fed diets with yeast culture, including cell wall mannans (Van der Peet-Schwering et al 2007) or MOS (Che et al 2011a). The results obtained in the current study showed an immunostimulating instead of a growth promoting effect of MOS in weaned pigs.…”

The Optimal Combination of Dietary Starch, Non-Starch Polysaccharides, and Mannan-Oligosaccharide Increases the Growth Performance and Improves Butyrate-Producing Bacteria of Weaned Pigs

“…Mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) is derived from yeast cell wall, and could improve the balance of gut microflora and improve intestinal immune function [ 20 ]. Importantly, dietary supplement with MOS has been shown to increase the growth performance of pigs [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Taken together, starch, dietary fiber, and oligosaccharides have been well documented and exhibited beneficial role on pig’s growth and intestinal health.…”

Reduction of subclinical Salmonella infection in fattening pigs after dietary supplementation with a ß-galactomannan oligosaccharide

“…; Wenner et al . ). Results either on animal performance or on antimicrobial effect are often contradictory, likely due to the differences among products mentioned above and the dose used (Gaggia et al .…”

“…The effect of dietary MOS on Salmonella infection and/ or shedding has been the subject of many studies in both poultry (Fern andez et al 2000;Spring et al 2000) and pigs (Letellier et al 2000;White et al 2002;Burkey et al 2004;Wenner et al 2013). Results either on animal performance or on antimicrobial effect are often contradictory, likely due to the differences among products mentioned above and the dose used (Gaggia et al 2010).…”