Abstract
BACKGROUND: A total of one hundred and forty, 28 d-old weaner pigs [Duroc x (Yorkshire x Landrace)] with initial body weight (BW) of 6.56±1.25kg were used in a six-week treatment (7 replicate pens per treatment; barrows, and 2 gilts/pen) to evaluate the effect of low nutrient density diet supplement with probiotic mixture supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbial, and gas emission of weaner pigs. RESULTS: Pigs fed low-density diet with probiotic mixture supplementation had linearly increased (P = 0.028, 0.014) the body weight (BW) at weeks 3, and 6. Moreover, average daily gain (ADG) was linearly improved (P=0.018, 0.014, 0.014) at week 3, 6, and overall experiment. However, there were no interactive effects found on the nutrient digestibility of dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N) and energy (E) throughout the experiment. Dietary inclusion of low-density diet with probiotic mixture supplementation has improved the fecal lactobacillus counts linearly, but E. coli was unaffected during the trail. On day 42, Ammonium gas emission was significantly decrease in pigs fed a low-density diet with probiotic mixture supplementation. However, H2S, acetic acid, and CO2 were not significantly affected by the probiotic mixture supplementation diet. CONCLUSION: Low-density diet with probiotic mixture supplementation had positively affected the growth performance, fecal microbial, and fecal gas emission on weaner pigs.
34. Higher bioavailability of copper increases growth performance of weaner pigs when included at lower inclusion rates
