128 Effects of Feeding a Whole-Cell Inactivated Pichia guilliermondii Yeast in Sow and/or Pig Diets on Progeny Nursery and Grow-Finish Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics

A total of 1260 weaned pigs (PIC 359x1050) from 358 sows were used to determine effects of feeding sows and/or their progeny a proprietary strain of Pichia guilliermondii as a whole-cell inactivated yeast product (WCY; CitriStim, ADM Animal Nutrition, Quincy, IL) on nursery and grow-finish growth performance and carcass characteristics. Sows were fed either a basal gestation/lactation control (CON) diet or CON fortified with 0.1% (0.91 kg/ton) WCY throughout gestation and lactation. Progeny were fed either a CON diet, or CON fortified with 0.15% (1.36 kg/ton) WCY in the nursery period and 0.05% (0.45 kg/ton) WCY in grow-finish. Pigs were allotted (21 pigs/pen, 15 pens/treatment) to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2×2 factorial design. For the nursery period (d0-42 post-weaning), there was no difference in ADG or ADFI (P > 0.05). However, pigs fed WCY in the nursery had lower G:F than pigs fed CON (P = 0.029). Livability of nursery pigs produced from CON fed sows was 92.22% and trended to improve to 94.23% for pigs produced by WCY fed sows (P = 0.157). During the grow-finish period, pigs from sows fed WCY had greater overall ADG (d0-end; 0.89 kg/d vs. 0.92 kg/d), ADFI (2.19 kg/d vs. 2.24 kg/d), and final body weight (BW; 133.97 kg vs. 136.04 kg) compared with pigs from CON fed sows (P < 0.016). A greater hot carcass weight (HCW; 98.51 kg vs. 100.48 kg) and carcass yield percentage was observed for pigs produced from WCY fed sows compared with pigs produced by sows fed CON (P < 0.023). Livability during the grow-finish period was 95.09% for pigs from CON fed sows and trended to increase to 96.92% for pigs produced from WCY fed sows (P = 0.146). In conclusion, feeding sows WCY contributed to improving their progeny’s grow-finish ADG, ADFI, final BW, HCW, and carcass yield percentage. Additionally, a trend for improved combined wean-to-finish livability of 3.84% from sows fed WCY may be meaningful.