244 Physiological Response of Nursery Pigs Fed Cold-Pressed Canola Cake-Based Diets with Soluble Fiber Source or Feed Additives

Abstract

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of soluble fiber source or feed additives on physiological response of nursery pigs fed cold-pressed canola cake (CPCC) based diets. A total of 24 nursery pigs [initial body weight (BW) = 7.29 kg] were housed in 24 metabolic crates and fed 6 diets (4 pigs/diet) in a completely randomized design. The diets were a corn-soybean meal (SBM)-based diet and corn-SBM-CPCC (30%)-based diets without or with barley, acidifier, encapsulated butyric acid, and probiotics. The diets were formulated to meet or exceed NRC (2012) nutrient recommendations for nursery pigs and were fed for 2 weeks. Pig BW and feed intake were measured on day 0 and d 14. On d 14, blood samples were collected for measuring serum concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4), then all pigs were euthanized for measuring organ weights and pH of digesta in the gastrointestinal tract. Pigs fed corn-SBM based diet had greater (P < 0.05) gain to feed ratio compared with pigs fed CPCC diet by 24%. Dietary acidifier increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) of pigs fed CPCC diet by 45.6% and had no difference from that of pigs fed corn-SBM based diet. There were no differences in weight of the thyroid gland, liver, and heart relative to BW. Dietary treatments did not affect serum T3 and T4 concentrations of pigs fed CPCC diets. Dietary barley, acidifier, or butyric acid had no influence on digesta pH of duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, proximal colon, and distal colon in pigs fed CPCC diets. However, dietary probiotics increased (P < 0.05) pH of distal colonic digesta (6.62) compared with pigs fed corn-SBM diet (6.15) and CPCC diet (6.13). Supplementation of acidifier in 30% CPCC diet increased average daily gain of nursery pigs while maintaining normal metabolic organ weights and serum thyroid hormones level.