ARS | Publication request: Effect of commercial feed additives in nursery and finisher pig diets containing DDGS on nutrient digestibility and growth performance

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 15, 2011
Publication Date: March 22, 2011
Citation: Kerr, B.J., Weber, T.E., Shurson, G.C. 2011. Effect of commercial feed additives in nursery and finisher pig diets containing DDGS on nutrient digestibility and growth performance [abstract]. Journal of Animal Science. 89:112(E-Suppl.2).

Technical Abstract: Ten commercially available feed additives were selected based on their potential to affect energy and fiber digestion, or their ability to modulate gastrointestinal bacterial ecology. A total of 192 nursery pigs (11.9 kg initial BW) and 96 finishing pigs (98.4 kg initial BW) were allotted to individual pens and fed their respective diet for 5-wk. Diets contained corn, soybean meal, and 30% dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and were adequate in all nutrients (NRC, 1998) and were offered ad libitum in meal form. Additives were added at the recommended rates and were assumed to contain the active ingredients and activity level listed on the product label. Titanium dioxide was added as an indigestible marker to determine apparent total tract DM, C, N, S, P, EE, ADF, and NDF digestibility at the end of wk 1, 3, and 5. Data were analyzed using ANOVA with group, room, gender, week, and diet included in the model. In nursery pigs, digestibility of most nutrients were unaffected by additives. Roxazyme tended to improve N and S digestibility (P = 0.1) and Rovabio and BactoCell tended to improve (P = 0.06) S digestibility. Porzyme and Hemicell tended to decrease (P = 0.09) NDF digestibility and XVC yeast tended to reduce P digestibility (P = 0.1). Econase, Allzyme, and Rele-e-zyme decreased digestibility of various nutrients. For finisher pigs, all additives had minimal effects on digestibility of most nutrients. Roxazyme tended to improve (P = 0.08) EE, Hemicel tended to decrease NDF and ADF digestibility (P = 0.08), Allzyme tended to increase NDF, ADF and P digestibility (P = 0.08), Bactocel tended to decrease N digestibility (P = 0.05), XVC yeast reduced N and C digestibility (P = 0.1), and Bioplus2B tended to improve ADF digestibility (P = 0.1), but decrease P and EE digestibility (P = 0.04). Addition of Porzyme and Rel-e-ezyme caused negative effects on digestibility of various nutrients. Additives had no effect (P > 0.1) on starter or finishing pig performance. In conclusion, addition of these commercial additives to corn-soybean meal-30% DDGS diets appear to have minimal effects on nutrient digestibility in nursery and finishing pigs, and do not improve growth performance.