Evaluation of the anion® supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics and faecal noxious gas content in weaning pigs

Abstract

To investigate the effects of Anion® supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics and faecal noxious gas content in weaning pigs, 140 crossbred (6.25±0.40 kg, weaned on d 21) piglets were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (seven replications with five pigs per pen). Treatments included: (1) CON: basal diet; (2) PC: CON+44 mg/kg of Tylosin; (3) HC1: CON+3 g/kg Anion®; and (4) HC2: CON+0.6 g/kg Anion®. Growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristic and faecal noxious gas content were investigated in this study. Dietary HC1 and PC improved (P<0.05) the average daily gain and gain/feed (G:F) ratio compared with other treatments during d 0-7 in this study. The inclusion of antibiotics led to a higher (P<0.05) G:F ratio compared with CON and HC2 treatments, with HC1 treatment showing an intermediate value during d 21-35 and the overall period. Dietary PC treatment led to a greater (PB0.05) DM and N digestibility than HC2 treatment at d 7. The inclusion of PC or HC1 diet resulted in a higher (P<0.05) N digestibility than those in CON treatments at d 21. Pigs fed the HC2 treatment decreased ammonia emission (P<0.05) at d 15 compared with other treatments. In conclusion, supplementation of the diet with 3 g/kg Anion® could increase growth performance and nutrient digestibility of weaning pigs, while concomitantly decreasing the noxious gas emission. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.