A review of ten years of experience in feed additives in pig diets on large-scale farms in Yugoslavia

Abstract

Sixty-three experiments with 2818 weaned piglets and 30 experiments with 1818 growing pigs were carried out from 1964 to 1976 with the objective of investigating the stimulative effect of different additives on the production of weaned piglets and growing pigs. The experiments were carried out under practical conditions on a number of large-scale pig farms. The results obtained by the investigation allow the following conclusions to be drawn: • - all additives used in the investigation had a high stimulative effect on daily gain and feed conversion efficiency. The highest stimulative effect was observed in piglets after weaning. With advancing age and increasing weight of the animals the stimulative effect was found to diminish; • - although Aureo SP-125 was used as additive in pig diet for more than 10 years running, it continued to have a high stimulative effect on daily gain and feed conversion efficiency in pigs; • - all the additives used in the investigation proved economically justified, primarily through feed savings per kg of gain; • - although the respective antibiotics were used continuously for more than 10 years as additives in pig rations, an increase in the number of diseases in the animals was not observed.