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Zinc methionine and laminarin have growth‐enhancing properties in newly weaned pigs influencing both intestinal health and diarrhoea occurrence
Author(s) -
Bouwhuis M. A.,
Sweeney T.,
Mukhopadhya A.,
Thornton K.,
McAlpine P. O.,
O'Doherty J. V.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.651
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1439-0396
pISSN - 0931-2439
DOI - 10.1111/jpn.12647
Subject(s) - weaning , laminarin , zoology , factorial experiment , methionine , feed conversion ratio , biology , weight gain , body weight , biochemistry , endocrinology , polysaccharide , mathematics , amino acid , statistics
Summary Three experiments were conducted to investigate the interaction between zinc methionine (ZnM) and laminarin ( LAM ) on piglet growth performance and intestinal health post‐weaning. Experiment 1 was designed as 2 × 2 factorial with four treatments [ n = 8, weaning age ( WA ) 24 days, live weight ( LW ) 7.15 kg]: (i) basal diet ( BD ); (ii) BD + 500 mg/kg ZnM; (iii) BD + 300 mg/kg LAM ; and (iv) BD + 500 mg/kg ZnM + 300 mg/kg LAM . There was an interaction (p < 0.05) between LAM and ZnM. Pigs that were offered the LAM diet had a similar performance to the BD . However, when combining LAM with ZnM, pigs had reduced average daily gain ( ADG ), gain‐to‐feed ratio (G:F) and LW at slaughter at day 8 post‐weaning compared to the ZnM. Both LAM and ZnM improved the small intestinal morphology of the pigs at day 8 post‐weaning. Experiment 2 was designed as 2 × 2 factorial with four dietary treatments ( n = 9, WA 24 days, LW 7.32 kg): (i) BD ; (ii) BD + 500 mg/kg ZnM; (iii) BD + 175 mg/kg LAM ; and (iv) BD + 500 mg/kg ZnM + 175 mg/kg LAM . The ADG and average daily feed intake were improved between day 0 and 31 PW when pigs were offered a LAM diet (p < 0.01). Faecal scores were reduced between day 0 and day 31 post‐weaning with ZnM (p < 0.001). Experiment 3 consisted of four dietary treatments ( n = 10, WA 24 days, LW 7.32 kg): (i) BD ; (ii) BD + 3300 mg/kg zinc oxide (ZnO); (iii) BD + 500 mg/kg ZnM; and (iv) BD + 175 mg/kg LAM . Pigs that were offered the ZnO diet had an increased ADG compared to the BD or ZnM diets (p < 0.01). Pigs that were offered the LAM diet had increased ADG compared to the ZnM diet (p < 0.05). Faecal scores were reduced between day 0 and day 31 PW with ZnM or ZnO supplementation (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the inclusion of 175 mg/kg LAM and ZnO improved ADG while both ZnO and ZnM reduced the faecal scores post‐weaning.