Live yeast and yeast extracts with and without pharmacological levels of zinc on nursery pig growth performance and antimicrobial susceptibilities of fecal Escherichia coli

A total of 360 weanling barrows (Line 200 ×400, DNA, Columbus NE; initially 5.6 ± 0.03 kg) were used in a 42-d study to evaluate yeast-based pre- and probiotics (Phileo by Lesaffre, Milwaukee, WI) in diets with or without pharmacological levels of Zn on growth performance and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of fecal Escherichia coli. Pens were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 5 pigs per pen and 18 pens per treatment. Dietary treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of yeast-based pre- and probiotics (none vs. 0.10% ActiSaf Sc 47 HR+, 0.05% SafMannan, and 0.05% NucleoSaf from d 0 to 7, then concentrations were lowered by 50% from d 7 to 21) and pharmacological levels of Zn (110 vs. 3,000 mg/kg from d 0 to 7, and 2,000 mg/kg from d 7 to 21 with added Zn provided by ZnO). All pigs were fed a common diet from d 21 to 42 post-weaning. There were no yeast ×Zn interactions or effects from yeast additives observed on any response criteria. From d 0 to 21, and 0 to 42, pigs fed pharmacological levels of Zn had increased (P < 0.001) ADG and ADFI. Fecal samples were collected on d 4, 21, and 42 from the same three pigs per pen for fecal dry matter (DM) and AMR patterns of E. coli. On d 4, pigs fed pharmacological levels of Zn had greater fecal DM (P = 0.043); however, no differences were observed on d 21 or 42. E. coli was isolated from fecal samples and the microbroth dilution method was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of E. coli isolates to 14 different antimicrobials. Isolates were categorized as either susceptible, intermediate, or resistant based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The addition of pharmacological levels of Zn had a tendency (P = 0.051) to increase the MIC values of ciprofloxacin; however, these MIC values were still well under the CLSI classified resistant breakpoint for Ciprofloxacin. There was no evidence for differences (P > 0.10) for yeast additives or Zn for AMR of fecal E. coli isolates to any of the remaining antibiotics. In conclusion, pharmacological levels of Zn improved ADG, ADFI, and all isolates were classified as susceptible to ciprofloxacin although the MIC of fecal E. coli tended to be increased. Thus, the short-term use of pharmacological levels of Zn did not increase antimicrobial resistance. There was no response observed from live yeast and yeast extracts for any of the growth, fecal DM, or AMR of fecal E. coli criteria.

232 Effects of Yarrowia Lipolytica Supplementation on Growth Performance and Apparent Ileal Digestibility of Diets Fed to Nursery Pigs

The objective was to evaluate Yarrowia lipolytica (YL) as a lipid supplement fed to nursery pigs for the growth performance and apparent ileal digestibility (AID). Twenty-four pigs weaned at 21 d of age (12 barrows and 12 gilts with initial BW at 7.2 ± 0.6 kg) were allotted to 3 dietary treatments (n = 8) based on the randomized complete block design with sex and BW as blocks. The main effect was the dietary supplementation of YL (0, 1.5, and 3.0%, replacing poultry fat) with nutrients meeting or exceeding the requirements by NRC (2012) and fed to pigs for 21 d based on 2 phases. Feed intake and BW were recorded at d 0, 10, and 21 to calculate ADG, ADFI, and G:F. Fecal scores were recorded at every odd day from d 3 to 19. Pigs were euthanized on d 21 to collect ileal digesta for AID of nutrients in diets. Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed of SAS. There were no differences in growth performance among treatments. Whereas, pigs fed 0 and 1.5% YL had higher (P < 0.05) AID of DM (55.0 and 52.2% to 40.2%, respectively) and GE (62.1 and 60.6% to 49.8%, respectively) than pigs fed 3% YL. There were no differences in AID of DM and GE between the pigs fed 0% and 1.5% YL. In conclusion, 1.5% Yarrowia lipolytica could be supplemented in nursery pig diets reducing 0.8% of poultry fat without affecting growth performance and AID of DM and GE.

The effects of pharmacological levels of zinc, diet acidification and dietary crude protein on growth performance on nursery pigs

This experiment was conducted to evaluate potential replacements for pharmacological levels of Zn (provided by Zn oxide), such as diet acidification (sodium diformate), and low dietary crude protein (CP: 21 vs 18%) on nursery pig performance and fecal dry matter (DM). A total of 360 weaned pigs (Line 200 × 400, DNA, Columbus, NE; initially 5.90 ± 0.014 kg) were used in a 42-d growth study. Pigs were weaned at approximately 21-d of age and randomly assigned to pens (5 pigs per pen). Pens were then allotted to 1 of 8 dietary treatments with 9 pens per treatment. Experimental diets were fed in two phases: Phase 1 from weaning to d 7 and phase 2 from d 7 to 21; with all pigs fed the same common diet from d 21 to 42. The eight treatment diets were arranged as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of Zn (110 mg/kg from d 0 to 21 or 3,000 mg/kg from d 0 to 7, and 2,000 mg/kg from d 7 to 21), diet acidification, (without or with 1.2% sodium diformate), and dietary CP (21 or 18%, 1.40 and 1.35% in Phase 1 and 2 vs 1.20% standardized ileal digestible Lys, respectively). Fecal samples were collected weekly from the same 3 pigs per pen to determine DM content. No 2- or 3-way interactions (P > 0.05) were observed throughout the 42-d study for growth performance; however, there was a Zn × acidifier × CP interaction (P < 0.05) for fecal DM on d 7 and for the overall average of the 6 collection periods. Reducing CP without acidification or pharmacological levels of Zn increased fecal DM, but CP had little effect when ZnO was present in the diet. From d 0 to 21, significant (P < 0.05) main effects were observed where average daily gain (ADG) and gain:feed (G:F) increased for pigs fed pharmacological levels of Zn, sodium diformate, or 21% CP (P < 0.065). In the subsequent period (d 21 to 42) after the experimental diets were fed, there was no evidence of difference in growth performance among treatments. Overall (d 0 to 42), main effect tendencies were observed (P < 0.066) for pigs fed added Zn or sodium diformate from d 0 to 21 whereas pigs fed 21% CP had greater G:F than those fed 18% CP. Pig weight on d 42 was increased by adding Zn (P < 0.05) or acidifier (P < 0.06) but not CP. In summary, none of the feed additives had a major influence on fecal DM, but dietary addition of pharmacological levels of Zn or sodium diformate independently improved nursery pig performance.

Effect of cleaning corn on mycotoxin concentration and nursery pig growth performance

Mycotoxins are naturally-produced hazards that result from molds grown on cereal grains and other commodities. These molds may produce carcinogenic mycotoxins, which can be harmful to humans and animals. Removing broken kernels has been demonstrated to reduce mycotoxin concentration, but with high variability. Therefore, two experiments were conducted to quantify the magnitude of natural mycotoxin concentration that may be reduced by cleaning corn. Two loads of corn that were naturally contaminated with mycotoxins were procured. Corn for Experiment 1 was contaminated with aflatoxin (1,074 parts per billion; ppb), fumonisin (8.3 parts per million; ppm), and ochratoxin A (206 ppb), while corn for Experiment 2 was contaminated with only fumonisin (5.5 ppm). Corn was cleaned by mechanical sieving. For each experiment, corn was divided into twenty 150 kg runs. Runs were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental treatments: 1) no screen 2) 12.7 mm screen, 3) 4.8 mm screen, and 4) 12.7 + 4.8-mm screen. The corn cleaner was sanitized between runs. Three 5 kg corn samples were collected from each run, and analyzed for mycotoxin concentration. In Experiment 1, cleaning reduced (P < 0.05) aflatoxin and fumonisin concentration by an average of 26% and 45%, respectively, compared to the original uncleaned corn level, but did not impact (P > 0.10) ochratoxin A. The resultant screenings had nearly 4 times the aflatoxin (4,224 ppb) and 7.5 times the fumonisin concentration (60.4 ppm) as the uncleaned corn. In Experiment 2, cleaning reduced (P < 0.05) fumonisin concentration by 32%. The resultant screenings had 19.6 times the fumonisin concentration (65.4 ppm) as the uncleaned corn. To determine the effect that cleaning corn may have on nursery pig growth performance, 360 nursery pigs were used in Experiment 3 to evaluate the impact of cleaning or pelleting on growth performance. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial with corn type (uncleaned vs. cleaned) and feed form (mash vs. pelleted from either mill A or B). Neither cleaning corn nor pellet mill type affected (P > 0.19) nursery pig growth performance. Pelleting improved (P < 0.0001) gain to feed ratio (G:F) by 7.6% compared to mash diets. These data suggest that cleaning is an effective method to legally reduce aflatoxin and fumonisin concentration, but does not impact animal growth performance. Screenings should be used cautiously when feeding to animals.

244 Effect of Fiber Source and Crude Protein Level on Nursery Pig Performance

A total of 360 pigs (DNA 200′400, initially 5.0 kg) were used in a 45-d growth trial to determine the effects of fiber source and crude protein (CP) level in diets without pharmacological levels of ZnO on nursery pig growth performance and fecal dry matter (DM). Pigs were randomly assigned to 1 of 8 treatments with 5 pigs/pen and 9 pens/treatment. Treatments were arranged in a 2×4 factorial with main effects of CP (21 or 18%) and fiber source [none, coarse wheat bran (CWB), oat hulls, or cellulose (Arbocel, J. Rettenmaier USA, Schoolcraft, MI)]. Fiber source was added to equalize the level of insoluble fiber contributed from 4% CWB, resulting in the addition of 1.85% oat hulls or 1.55% cellulose. Diets were fed in two phases (d 0 to 10 and 10 to 24) followed by a common diet (d 24 to 45). The 21% CP diets contained 1.40% SID Lys in phase 1 and 1.35% SID Lys in phase 2. Treatment diets were formulated to a maximum SID Lys:digestible CP level of 6.35%, thus SID Lys decreased in the 18% CP (1.25% SID Lys) diets. Data were analyzed using the lmer function in R. No fiber source × CP level interactions (P >0.05) were observed. Decreasing dietary CP decreased (P = 0.05) ADG, G:F, and d 24 BW. Overall, ADG and d 45 BW decreased (P < 0.05) for pigs fed 18% CP diets. No main effects of fiber source were observed for growth performance throughout the study. Fecal DM increased (P < 0.05) for pigs fed added cellulose compared to pigs fed no fiber or CWB in the experimental period. In conclusion, reducing dietary CP decreased growth performance and the inclusion of cellulose improved fecal DM of nursery pigs.

271 Investigating the Relationship Between Nursery Pig Performance and Markers of Intestinal Morphology and Integrity

Weaning induces major structural and function changes to the small intestine of pigs and they transition from milk to solid feedstuffs. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine how intestinal morphology and function markers relate to feed intake and growth rates of nursery pig. Forty-eight weaned pigs (5.63 ± 0.50 kg) were randomly selected, individually penned and fed a common diet. Pig bodyweights and feed intake were determined at d 2, 7, and 21. At each time point, 16 pigs were randomly selected and euthanized. Sections of ileum were assessed for morphology [villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD) and VH:CD] and ex vivo transepithelial resistance (TER), macromolecule permeability (FD4), and active transport of glucose and glutamine via modified Ussing chambers. Within each period (d 0–2, 0–7, and 0–21), Pearson correlations were performed between ADG, ADFI, VH, VH:CD, TER, FD4 and active transport of glucose and glutamine. At d 2 post-weaning, no correlations (P > 0.05) were observed between performance and intestinal variables. By d 7, moderate positive correlations between VH and ADFI (r = 0.69, P = 0.005), VH and ADG (r = 0.68, P = 0.006) were reported. At 21 d post-weaning, moderate positive correlations were still observed for VH and ADFI (r = 0.55, P = 0.026) and between VH and ADG (r = 0.51, P = 0.042). Interestingly, ADFI and ADG tended to be negatively correlated with active glucose transport (r = -0.45, P = 0.083 and r = -0.47, P = 0.064, respectively) and active glutamine transport (r = -0.45, P = 0.083 and r = -0.46, P = 0.073, respectively). Markers of ileal integrity (TER and FD4) were not correlated with ADG or ADFI at any time point. Altogether, these data highlight the importance of intestinal morphology on early nursery pig performance.

PSVI-11 The Effects of Medium Chain Fatty Acid Supplementation on Sow and Piglet Performance

A total of 38 mixed parity sows were used from 28-d of gestation until weaning to determine the effects of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) in sow and nursery pig diets on litter characteristics and growth performance. On 28-d of gestation, sows were blocked by parity and body weight (BW), and allotted to either a control diet (UNSUP) or a control diet plus 0.3% inclusion of DaaFit Plus (MCFA) fed during gestation and lactation. At weaning, piglets (n=432) were allocated in a 2x2 factorial based on maternal diet (UNSUP or MCFA) and post-weaning diet (UNSUPnurs or MCFAnurs) in a 3-phase nursery pig feeding program lasting 42 days. Individual piglets were weighed at birth, 7-d, at weaning and every 2 weeks post-weaning. A flu outbreak occurred during the latter part of gestation leading to high overall stillborn rate (11%). There was no impact of MCFA supplementation on sow performance (P>0.14). During the suckling period, MCFA fed to sows had no impact on piglet weights or ADG (P>0.82). In the nursey period, overall gain (0.112±0.02 kg) was low in the first two weeks possibly due to health challenges. Supplementation of MCFA to sows or nursery pigs had no impact on body weights during the nursery period (P>0.32); however, absolute differences between groups increased with week [wean, 0.10kg; wk 2, 0.14kg; wk 4, 0.71kg; wk 6, 0.83kg) to the advantage of MCFA fed pigs. Pigs from MCFA fed sows had greater feed intake (P< 0.02) from 14 to 28-d and decreased gain:feed (P < 0.04) from 28 to 42-d compared to pigs from UNSUP sows. Overall, sow and nurser-y pigs fed MCFA had numerically greater 42-d BW, ADG, and ADFI. In conclusion, despite health challenges, supplementation with MCFA in gestation, lactation or in the nursery period improved piglet performance.

269 Mycotoxin Mitigation Strategy to Improve Nursery Pig Performance During Natural Mycotoxin Challenge

Mycotoxins (MTX) such as deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FUM), and zearalenone (ZEN) are a few of the most prevalent mycotoxins in livestock feed. Effects of MTX can vary based on contamination and type, but include losses in performance, immune function and reproduction impacting profitability. Effectiveness of mitigation strategies for MTX can greatly vary depending on type and contamination level. Therefore, the trial objective was to evaluate an in-feed mitigation strategy [Biofix® Plus (BPL), 1.5 kg/MT inclusion, BIOMIN America, Inc., Overland Park, KS] on nursery pig performance during a natural mixed MTX challenge. A total of 105 newly weaned pigs (BW = 5.5 ± 0.2 kg) were allotted to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design with 2 MTX contamination levels [low (L-MTX) and high (H-MTX); Table 1] and 2 BPL levels [without (Control) and with (BPL)] with 3 pigs per pen and 8 to 9 pens per treatment for a 5-week trial. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS with main effects of MTX and BPL and their interaction. There was no interaction of MTX and BPL on any of the cumulative 5-week performance metrics, therefore only main effects will be discussed. Average pig BW at 5-week was reduced (P < 0.05) in H-MTX compared with L-MTX diets (21.5 vs 18.5 kg, respectively). Similarly, ADG and ADFI were reduced (P < 0.05) in H-MTX pigs compared with L-MTX pigs. Feed efficiency was numerically reduced (P = 0.050) in H-MTX pigs compared with L-MTX pigs. However, BPL fed pigs had increased (P < 0.05) feed efficiency compared with pigs not fed BPL. Thus, MTX did effect BW, ADG, and ADFI and BPL was able to increase feed efficiency regardless of MTX level suggesting that BPL should be considered as a mitigation strategy to address mixed MTX challenges.

242 Evaluation of a DFM and OA, Alone or in Combination, on Sow Offspring’s Nursery Growth Performance

Progeny from sows fed diets containing a Bacillus licheniformis direct-fed microbial (DFM), an organic acid blend of medium and short chain fatty acids (OA), DFM+OA, or a control (CON) diet from d80 of gestation until weaning were used to determine if feeding CON, DFM, OA, or DFM+OA to the dam and/or progeny post-weaning improved nursery growth performance. Weaned pigs from 47 dams (n = 384, Initial BW=6.15 kg) were blocked by initial BW and sex and allotted (6 pigs/pen, 8 pens/treatment) to one of 8 nursery treatments. Pigs from CON sows were fed a negative (NC; no antibiotics, pharmacological Zn or Cu) or positive [PC; Neo-Terramycin phases 1 and 2 (827 and 551 ppm) and Carbadox phase 3 (55 ppm)] control diet. Pigs from sows fed DFM, OA, or DFM+OA were fed the NC diet or a diet representative of their dam. Diets with DFM contained 1.6x109 CFU/kg DFM and diets with OA contained 0.5, 0.4, and 0.3% OA in phases 1–3, respectively. Weaning weight was used as a covariate for nursery performance. For all phases and overall, PC fed pigs had greater ADG, ADFI, and G:F (P < 0.05). Feeding DFM or OA in sow diets improved (interaction; P< 0.042) nursery pig G:F, but DFM+OA offspring had no improvement for d7–14, 0–14, and 0–21 G:F. Feeding DFM or OA to sows and their progeny decreased ADFI (interaction; P < 0.042) but improved G:F (interaction; P < 0.028) for d7–14 and 0–14 with DFM+OA having no improvement above CON. For d14–21 and 0–21, feeding DFM or OA to sows and their progeny decreased ADFI whereas DFM+OA increased ADFI above CON (interaction; P < 0.019). In conclusion, feeding DFM or OA to sows or their offspring may improve nursery feed efficiency and feeding DFM+OA diet to sows and their progeny may increase ADFI late in the nursery period.

1 Introduction: Review of the Career: Gary L. Allee

Gary Allee’s professional career as a swine nutritionist spans from 1972 to 2020 in the peer-reviewed publication record. An evaluation of the major themes presented in his publications show a connectivity of work done at a “basic” science level leading to work on the application of this basic knowledge to meet pig production needs. It is interesting to explore the themes of Dr. Allee’s work and connect that to how pigs are fed on a practical basis today. Regarding sow nutrition work, Dr. Allee used his early work on lipogenesis to expand on the topic to understand how energy sources are able to cross the placental barrier and ultimately impact neonatal energy reserves. Further, Dr. Allee responded to availability changes in synthetic amino acids to the industry to explore opportunities to leverage these AA’s into sow diet formulations. In the area of nursery pig nutrition, his record explores the theme of lipid metabolism from lipogenesis, to ketogenesis to fat source and fatty acid profile implication to diet value. However, Dr. Allee picked up the themes of protein and lactose sources and implications on hypersensitivity and value of proteins and sugars targeted to the young pig all influencing practical diet formulations globally in young pig nutrition. In the area of the grow-finish pig, Gary’s work explored topics of dietary fat use, practical aspects of amino acid inclusion and the interaction of repartitioning approaches to lean deposition with nutrient requirements. This symposium is designed to highlight several key principals for success as a scientist that are evident in Dr. Allee’s career: a) importance of being a systems thinker in ability to take basic information and evolve it into practical implications; b) importance of being a global citizen in scientific professional development; and c) the impact that one has on people endures.