Abstract
A total of 880 weanling pigs (initially 15.6 lb and 16 to 20 d of age) were used in a 41-d experiment to compare the effects of different antibiotic regimens on growth performance and economic return in the nursery phase. Pigs were alloted to 1 of 5 treatment groups based on weight within gender. The antibiotic regimens included: (1) control diets containing no antibiotic throughout the trial, (2) a combination of Denagard (Novartis Animal Health, Greensboro, NC) at 35g/ton and chlortetracycline at 400g/ton (Denagard/CTC) for the entire 41-d trial, (3) a Pulmotil (Elanco, Greenfield, IN) regimen of 363g/ton from d 0 to 10 followed by 181g/d from d 10 to 41, (4) Denagard 200 from d 0 to 10 followed by Denagard/CTC from d 10 to 41, and (5) Denagard/CTC from d 0 to 10, Denagard 200 from d 10 to 20, and Denagard/ CTC from d 20 to 41. From d 0 to 10, ADG, ADFI, and F/G were similar (P > 0.40) between the pigs fed nonmedicated diets and the mean of the groups fed diets containing antibiotics. However, from d 10 to 20, 20 to 41, and for the overall trial, pigs fed diets containing antibiotics had greater (P 0.18) between pigs fed Denagard/CTC and Denagard 200 during any phase. Final pig weights were greater for pigs fed diets containing antibiotics compared with the control (P < 0.01) and for pigs fed Denagard/CTC compared with pigs fed Pulmotil (P < 0.05). Adding antibiotics to the diets increased (P < 0.01) feed cost per pig; however, income over feed cost (IOFC) also increased for pigs fed Denagard/CTC compared with the control (P < 0.01) and compared with pigs fed Pulmotil (P < 0.01). These results demonstrate that adding antibiotics to the nursery diet improved pig performance and economic return.
Highlights
In-feed antibiotics have been widely used for many years to prevent disease and increase growth rates in nursery pigs
A total of 880 weanling pigs were used in a 41-d experiment to compare the effects of different antibiotic regimens on growth performance and economic return in the nursery phase
The antibiotic regimens included: (1) control diets containing no antibiotic throughout the trial, (2) a combination of Denagard (Novartis Animal Health, Greensboro, NC) at 35g/ton and chlortetracycline at 400g/ton (Denagard/CTC) for the entire 41-d trial, (3) a Pulmotil (Elanco, Greenfield, IN) regimen of 363g/ton from d 0 to 10 followed by 181g/d from d 10 to 41, (4) Denagard 200 from d 0 to 10 followed by Denagard/CTC from d 10 to 41, and (5) Denagard/CTC from d 0 to 10, Denagard 200 from d 10 to 20, and Denagard/ CTC from d 20 to 41
Summary
In-feed antibiotics have been widely used for many years to prevent disease and increase growth rates in nursery pigs. These antibiotics have been found to increase ADG and ADFI, subsequently increasing pig weights (Steidinger et al, 20094). All of the antibiotic regimens tested improved growth performance and income over feed cost (IOFC) compared with pigs fed no antibiotic. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of several feed antibiotic regimens on growth performance and economic return in a pig flow with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv) circulation
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