PSIX-11 Effects of Spray-Dried Lactococcus-Based Fermentation Products on Growth Performance of Nursery Pigs

Abstract

A total of 720 barrows (initially 5.9 kg; Line 200 × 400; DNA, Columbus, NE) were used in a 42-d growth trial to test the effects of spray-dried Lactococcus-based fermentation products on nursery pig performance. There were 24 replications per treatment with pen randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments. The positive control (PC) diet included zinc oxide (ZnO; phase 1), ZnO + chlortetracycline (CTC; phase 2) while the negative control (NC) diet did not include ZnO or CTC. Treatment diets included the negative control + 1 of 4 fermentation products (C, D, E, or F) added at 5% of the diet. Phase 3 diets contained a common control diet fed to all pigs plus treatment diets with fermentation products. Data were analyzed with pen as the experimental unit and barn within group as the blocking factor using PROC-GLIMMIX in SAS. From d 0 to 20, there was an overall treatment effect (P = 0.001) where pigs fed PC had increased (P < 0.05) d 20 BW, ADG, ADFI, and improved G:F compared to those fed the NC and NC + fermentation product. Overall, there was a treatment effect (P = 0.03) for pigs fed the PC having improved (P < 0.05) ADG and G:F compared to the NC and NC + fermentation product. In addition, pigs fed the NC had improved (P < 0.05) G:F compared to those fed additive D, E, and F. In conclusion, pigs fed the PC (zinc + CTC) diet had improved performance compared to pigs fed the NC with or without fermentation product. Adding fermentation products to the NC diet did not improve nursery pig performance.