scholarly journals The effect of creep feed composition and form on pre- and post-weaning growth performance of pigs and the utilization of low-complexity nursery diets

Author(s):  
B Christensen ◽  
L Huber

Abstract Fifty-six litters from first-parity sows standardized to 12 piglets were used to determine the effects of creep feed composition and form on pre- and post-weaning pig growth performance and the utilization of low-complexity nursery diets. At five days of age, litters (initial BW 2.31±0.61 kg) were assigned to one of four creep feeding regimens (n=14): [1] pelleted commercial creep feed (COM), [2] liquid milk replacer (LMR), [3] pelleted milk replacer (PMR), or [4] no creep feed (NO); creep feeds contained 1.0 % brilliant blue as a fecal marker. Individual piglet BW and fecal swabs were collected every 3±1 days during the creep-feeding period. The latter was to identify piglets that regularly consumed creep feed via the visual appearance of blue dye in the feces. At weaning (21±2 days of age), six pigs per litter with median BW that consumed creep feed were placed on either a HIGH- (contained highly digestible animal proteins) or LOW- (contained corn and soybean meal as the main protein sources) complexity nursery diet (n=7) in a three-phase feeding program over 39 days. On day 8, two pigs per pen were sacrificed to collect organ weights and digesta. The LMR disappeared at the greatest rate (average 37.7 g/pig/d; DM-basis) versus COM and PMR (10.6 and 10.3 ± 1.5 g/pig/d, respectively; P < 0.001). Litters that received LMR had the greatest proportion of pigs with blue fecal swabs throughout the creep feeding period (85.0 vs. 54.9 and 63.0 ± 0.4% for COM and PMR, respectively; P < 0.05) and LMR piglets had greater BW at weaning versus all other treatments (6.32 vs. 6.02, 5.92, and 5.67 ± 0.14 kg, for LMR, COM, NO, and PMR, respectively; P < 0.001). Overall, pigs given LOW (versus HIGH) diets in the nursery period had reduced ADG (25.1 vs. 27.7 ± 0.4 g/kg BW; P < 0.001), G:F (0.75 vs. 0.81 ± 0.02; P < 0.001), and exit BW (21.2 vs. 24.4 ± 0.6 kg; P < 0.001); no carryover effects of creep feeding program were observed. Creep feed regimen had limited effects on nutrient digestibility of nursery diets but the apparent ileal digestibility of organic matter tended to be less at 28 days of age for pigs that received the LOW nursery diet (64.2 vs. 68.8 ± 2.5%; P = 0.076). Providing supplemental nutrition during the suckling period via LMR improved piglet BW at weaning, which did not correspond to improved post-weaning growth performance, regardless of nursery diet complexity.

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 21-22
Author(s):  
Brenda Christensen ◽  
Lee-Anne Huber

Abstract Fifty-six litters standardized to 12 piglets from first-parity sows were used to determine the effects of creep and nursery diet compositions on pre- and post-weaning pig growth performance. At three days of age, litters (initial BW 2.31±0.61kg) were assigned to one of four creep feeding regimens (n=14): [1] commercial creep feed (COM), [2] liquid milk replacer (LMR), [3] pelleted milk replacer (PMR), or [4] no creep feed (NO); creep feeds contained 1.0% brilliant blue as a fecal marker. Fecal swabs were collected every 3±1 days to identify piglets that regularly consumed creep feed. At weaning (18±1 days of age), six pigs per litter that consumed creep feed were placed on either a HIGH- (contained highly digestible animal proteins) or LOW- (contained corn and soybean meal as the main protein sources) quality nursery diet (n = 7) in a three-phase feeding program over 38 days. The LMR disappeared at the greatest rate (37.7 g/pig/d; DM-basis) versus COM and PMR (10.8±1.5 g/pig/d; P < 0.001). Litters that received LMR had the greatest proportion of pigs with blue fecal swabs between study days 4 and 15 (85.0 vs 59.0±0.4%; P < 0.05) and LMR piglets had greater BW at weaning versus all other treatments (6.32, 6.02, 5.92, 5.67±0.14 kg, for LMR, COM, NO, and PMR, respectively; P < 0.001). Over the entire nursery period, pigs that received LOW diets had reduced ADG (399 vs 485±42 g; P < 0.001), ADFI (520 vs 595±37 g; P< 0.001), G:F (0.77 vs 0.82±0.03; P < 0.01), and BW at the end of the nursery period (21.2 vs 24.4±1.6 kg; P < 0.001), with no carryover effects of creep feeding regimen. Providing supplemental nutrition during the suckling period via LMR improved pig body weight at weaning, but did not improve post-weaning growth performance, regardless of nursery diet quality.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hung Phuc Nguyen ◽  
Thinh Van Do ◽  
Hau Duc Tran

Abstract A 16-wk growth trial was conducted to examine the effects of dietary replacement of fish meal by defatted soybean meal (SBM) and fermented soybean meal (FSBM) with taurine supplementation on growth performance, nutrient apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) and biological parameters of pompano fish. The FSBM was produced by fermenting SBM with Lactobacillus spp. Seven isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated to replace 35% or 50% of fish meal by SBM or FSBM with taurine supplementation. The diets are denoted as follows: FM, SBM35, SBM35T, FSBM35T, SBM50, SBM50T, and FSBM50T. The FM (the basal diet) contained fish meal as a main source of dietary protein. Taurine was supplemented to SBM35T, FSBM35T, SBM50T, and FSBM50T at the level of 15 g/kg diet. Pompano juveniles with an initial body weight (BW) of 80 g reared in floating net cages were fed the experimental diets twice daily for 16 wk. Results showed that the final BW, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio of fish fed SBM35 and SBM50 were significantly lower than those of fish fed FM (P < 0.05), indicating that the replacement of fish meal by SBM at the rate of 35% in the diet is excessive for pompano. Supplementation of taurine to the SBM-included diets significantly increased growth performance and feed utilization (P < 0.05); however, these diets did not restore the performance back to a level equivalent to that of fish offered the basal diet. Meanwhile, fish fed FSBM35T had comparable growth and feed performances to those fed FM. Hematocrit values, total biliary bile acid levels, whole body lipid contents, and tissue taurine concentrations of fish fed SBM35 and SBM50 were the lowest among the treatments, but these parameters were improved by taurine supplementation and FSBM inclusion in the diet. Taurine supplementation increased lipid ADC, and SBM fermentation slightly enhanced both lipid and protein ADCs of the fish. These findings suggest that the combination of FSBM and taurine supplementation is an effective way to improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and biological parameters, and that FSBM with taurine supplementation can replace 35% of fish meal in pompano diets without any negative effects on growth and feed performances in a long-term feeding period.


2000 ◽  
Vol 2000 ◽  
pp. 119-119
Author(s):  
P.J. Blanchard ◽  
P. Toplis ◽  
L. Taylor ◽  
H.M. Miller

Creep feeding enhances weaning weight (King et al., 1998) and may also enhance early post-weaning growth rate, both of which are positively correlated to subsequent performance (Miller et al., 1999). When preweaning feeds are offered, current practice in the UK is to feed either dry feed from day 14 to weaning or acidified milk replacer from days 3 to 18. Intakes of dry feed pre-weaning are generally low whereas liquid feeds are consumed more readily. Our objectives were 1) to offer creep feed as a gruel to test whether this would enhance intake of creep and provide an alternative to milk replacer, and 2) to provide all three forms of supplementary feeding together to determine whether this further increased performance. Piglets receiving no supplementary pre-weaning feed were the negative control.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Abedin Abdallah ◽  
Pei Zhang ◽  
Abdul-Halim Abubakari ◽  
Evera Elemba ◽  
Qingzhen Zhong ◽  
...  

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Astragalus by-product (ABP) through dietary supplementation at different levels on performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, blood metabolites, and immune response in sheep. Twenty-four Doper × Small Tail Han ewes (6-7 months of age; 29.07 ± 2.28 kg initial body weight) were randomly assigned to one of three treatments for a 47 d feeding period. Treatments consisted of the sheep diet supplemented with 0% ABP-control, 10% ABP, or 15% ABP of the diet (dry matter basis). Blood samples were collected on days 0, 15, 30, and 45 of the feeding period. APB supplementation did not affect growth performance and apparent digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, and acid detergent fibre (P>0.05). However, ether extract digestibility was decreased in the 10% ABP group and increased in the 15% ABP group (P<0.001), and both 10% ABP and 15% ABP decreased the neutral detergent fibre digestibility (P=0.005). Feeding ABP increased rumen pH (P<0.001) and ammonia N (P<0.001) and decreased concentrations of acetate (P=0.007) and propionate (P=0.001) which resultantly increased the acetate-to-propionate ratio (P<0.001) in ruminal fluid. There were no interaction effects between treatment and sampling time for plasma metabolites and immunity (P>0.05). However, inclusion of dietary 10% ABP decreased concentrations of plasma cholesterol (P=0.043). Also, plasma concentrations of low-density lipoprotein decreased on days 30 and 45 (P=0.017) of the feeding period. Metabolite concentrations of total protein, albumin, globulin, blood urea N, glucose, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and humoral immune indicators were not affected (P>0.05) by dietary ABP supplementation. The results suggest that ABP could be reclaimed through dietary inclusion in animal feed since it had beneficial effects on rumen fermentation patterns and lipid metabolism and had no adverse effects on performance and humoral immunity in sheep.


2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 110 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-M. Chai ◽  
T. Ma ◽  
H.-C. Wang ◽  
M.-L. Qi ◽  
Y. Tu ◽  
...  

To determine the effect of a weaning program on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and serum parameters in Hu lambs, 48 newly born twin lambs (2.53 ± 0.13 kg; 24 male and 24 female) were randomly divided into four treatments: ewe reared (ER) or weaned at 10, 20, or 30 days post birth (EW10, EW20, and EW30) and fed milk replacer (MR). All liquid feed were eliminated at 60 days of age. Creep feed was offered ad libitum to all lambs from 15 to 90 days of age. The results indicated that lambs fed MR had higher liveweight, average daily gain, and creep feed intake (P < 0.001) than those in the ER group. There were no differences between treatments in the apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, nitrogen or phosphorus (P > 0.05) from 50 to 60 days of age. The apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus of EW20 and EW30 groups were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of EW10 and ER groups from 80 to 90 days of age. Lambs in the EW10 group had higher concentration of albumin, serum urea nitrogen, and immunoglobulin G levels than those of other groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, early weaning could improve creep intake, growth performance, and nutrient utilisation of Hu lambs. Early weaning age had a significant effect on the growth of lambs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 102 (9) ◽  
pp. 7917-7926 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Hu ◽  
T.M. Hill ◽  
T.S. Dennis ◽  
F.X. Suarez-Mena ◽  
J.D. Quigley ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 243
Author(s):  
J. Wang ◽  
K. Cui ◽  
T. Ma ◽  
F. Zhang ◽  
S.-Q. Wang ◽  
...  

Twelve pairs of male twin lambs were used to assess the effects of dietary methionine (Met) deficiency followed by replenishment on lamb growth performance and carcass characteristics. All lambs were weaned at 7 days of age and divided into the Control (CON) group and Met deficiency (MD) group. From 8 to 56 days of age, the lambs in the CON group were fed a milk replacer and starter feed containing 0.91% and 0.60% Met, respectively, whereas the lambs in the MD group were fed with a milk replacer and starter feed containing 0.21% and 0.20% Met, respectively. All lambs were fed a starter feed containing 0.60% Met from 57 to 84 days of age. Six twin pairs were slaughtered at 56 and 84 days of age, and their organ weights and carcass traits were measured. During 8 to 56 days of age, the Met-deficient diet decreased (P &lt; 0.05) Met intake, average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, shrunk bodyweight, empty bodyweight, hot carcass weight, and the apparent digestibility of crude protein, ether extract and neutral detergent fibre; however, no differences were detected in dressing percentage or in the percentage of visceral organ weight to shrunk bodyweight between the groups (P &gt; 0.05). During the follow-up Met replenishment stage, no differences in growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, and percentages of visceral organs to shrunk bodyweight were found between the groups (P &gt; 0.05). In conclusion, dietary Met deficiency in early life retarded the growth and development of lambs. Growth rate was not retarded during the 28 days of subsequent Met replenishment, but the difference in bodyweight between the groups remained.


2020 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 2186-2199 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.K. van Niekerk ◽  
A.J. Fischer-Tlustos ◽  
L.L. Deikun ◽  
J.D. Quigley ◽  
T.S. Dennis ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Élise Lafleur Larivière ◽  
Cuilan Zhu ◽  
Sabrina Zettell ◽  
Robert Patterson ◽  
Niel A Karrow ◽  
...  

Abstract One hundred eighty newly weaned pigs (21 days of age; 6.9 ± 0.2 kg BW) were used to determine the effects of deoxynivalenol- (DON) contaminated corn and an immune-modulating feed additive on growth performance and immune response of nursery pigs fed corn- and soybean meal-based diets. Pens were randomly assigned to one of five diets: a high-complexity (HC; containing animal protein sources) or one of four low-complexity diets (LC; containing soybean meal as the main protein source) arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial with low (lDON; average 1.4 ppm) or high (hDON; average 3.5 ppm) DON and with or without a feed additive (2 g/kg in complete feed; n = 6 pens per treatment) provided in a three-phase feeding program. On day 7, small intestinal histomorphology was assessed in two pigs per pen. On days 8 and 25, two pigs per pen were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA). Blood was collected on days 8, 25, and 38 for determination of OVA-specific IgG. There were no corn type by feed additive interactions or feed additive effects for growth performance. The ADG, ADFI, and G:F in phase I were not different for pigs fed hDON vs. lDON, but were less than those fed the HC diet (contrasts; P &lt; 0.05). Over the entire nursery period, ADG and ADFI were less for pigs fed hDON vs. those fed lDON (407 vs. 484 g and 651 vs. 769 g, respectively; P &lt; 0.05), ADG was less for pigs fed hDON vs. HC (496 g; P &lt; 0.05), and pigs fed lDON had ADG and ADFI not different from those fed the HC diet. Pigs fed hDON had lower final BW than those fed lDON (24.6 vs. 27.6 kg; P &lt; 0.01) and tended to have lower final BW than pigs fed the HC diet (27.3 kg; contrast; P = 0.052); final BW was not different between pigs fed lDON and HC diets. Jejunal villus heights were shorter for pigs fed hDON and lDON compared to pigs fed HC (438 and 466 vs. 538 µm; contrasts; P &lt; 0.05 and P = 0.090, respectively) and the villus:crypt ratio tended to be less for pigs fed hDON vs. those fed HC (1.87 vs. 2.22; contrast; P = 0.091). On day 38, plasma OVA-specific IgG 1 tended to be less for pigs fed hDON compared to HC (contrast; P = 0.075) and OVA-specific total IgG were less for pigs fed LC diets without the feed additive vs. HC (P &lt; 0.05). Therefore, high DON (~3.5 ppm) in LC nursery diets interfered with compensatory growth and the humoral immune response. The feed additive did not rescue growth performance, regardless of DON contamination level in LC nursery diets.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei Zhang ◽  
Shiwen Sun ◽  
Wenge Cheng ◽  
Abedin Abdallah ◽  
Zewei Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Tongmai granule residue (TGR) on the growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, blood biochemical parameters, and rumen fermentation in Doper x Small Tail Han hybrid sheep. Twenty-four healthy female lambs (6–7 months of age; 29.64 ± 1.80 kg initial body weight) were randomly divided into 3 groups and fed for 75 days. The control group was fed a commercial concentrate and the other groups were fed diets supplemented with 10% and 15% TGR respectively. Dietary 15% TGR supplementation decreased average daily gain, apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber, but increased the feed conversion ratio, apparent digestibility of crude fat and organic matter in lambs (P < 0.05). The 10% TGR group significantly increased the apparent digestibility of organic matter (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of 10% and 15% TGR significantly increased serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) content on day 15, IgG content on day 30, and IgA content on day 60 of the feeding period (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of 15% TGR significantly increased the content of IgA on the 30th day (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) on the 30th day (P < 0.05) of the feeding period. TGR at 15% significantly decreased the contents of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) in the rumen (P < 0.05), and significantly increased the pH, NH3-N concentration, and acetic acid: propionic acid ratio (P < 0.05). The results suggest that, the addition of TGR to diet can improve the apparent digestibility of crude fat and organic matter, and improve the anti-atherosclerosis ability and immune function of Doper x Small Tail Han hybrid female lambs. The dietary addition of 10% TGR yielded the best feeding effect in this experiment.


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