Effect of Dried Brewers Yeast on Growth Performance of Nursing and Weanling Pigs

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of dried brewers yeast (DBY) as a protein source in prewean (creep) and nursery diets on growth performance of nursing and weanling pigs. In Exp. 1, sows and gilts were provided ad libitum access to the same lactation diet. Litters at 5 d of age were assigned to 1) no prewean feed, 2) a control diet, or 3) the control diet with 4% DBY by replacing soybean meal, available until an average weaning age of 21 d. At weaning, pigs within litters were assigned to 1) a control or 2) the control+4% DBY, resulting in 6 treatments (3 x 2 factorial arrangement) for the nursery period. During the prewean period, there were no differences (P>0.10) in average pig weaning weight or ADG between pigs fed the no prewean diet, the control diet, or the DBY diet. In the nursery period, pigs fed DBY had increased (P=0.05) ADG and G:F during phase 1 and increased (P<0.10) overall ADG compared with pigs fed the control diet. Pigs fed DBY during the prewean and nursery periods had increased ADG compared with pigs not fed DBY during the nursery period (prewean x nursery interaction, P<0.09). In Exp. 2 and 3, weanling pigs (initial BW=5 kg and 18 d of age) were fed during the first 7 d postweaning. In Exp. 2, pigs were assigned to the same phase 1 treatments of Exp. 1. No differences (P>0.10) were observed in ADG, ADFI, or G:F. In Exp. 3, pigs were assigned to 1) the control+5% spray-dried animal plasma or 2) the control+5% DBY without spray-dried animal plasma. No differences (P>0.10) were observed in ADG, ADFI, or G:F. Based on our results, DBY can be used in prewean and phase 1 nursery diets with no negative effects on growth performance of nursing and weanling pigs.