Efficacy of “EnzActive mix” feed additive in piglet growing

Abstract

The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage of study was carried out on lactating sows with suckling piglets, and then on weaned piglets up to 43 days of age. The second stage was carried out on young pigs from 43 to 165 days of life during fattening stage. For the study, two groups of sows of the 2–3 farrow were formed. The sows of the control group (C) were fed standard feed, and the experimental group (E) received standard feed with the addition of the “EnzActive Mix” feed additive in the amount 0.3 kg/t of feed. The suckling piglets received pre-starter feed from 5 days of age until weaning. The E group received the experimental feed additive in the amount of 500 g/t. Weaned piglets in the growing period continued to consume pre-starter feed. After the 43 day of life, the piglets in E group received the “EnzActive Mix” feed additive in the amount of 0.3 kg/t to the standard feed. It was found that during the experiment, which lasted 33 days, the live weight of sows decreased by 25 kg (C) and by 20 kg (E), which is 2.44% less (P<0.001). In the early age piglets in E group, there was a statistically significant increase in live weight on day 28 (P<0.001) or by 15.28% compared to C group. After fourteen days of growing, the piglets of E group had a significant increase in live weight (P<0.001) or 12.61%, compared to C group. The increase in live weight in E group is confirmed by the piglets average daily gain rise on 7.14% (P<0.001). The second (fattening) stage of the experiment showed that after adding the “EnzActive Mix” feed additive, from 43 to 80 days of life the average weight in the E group was 15.38% (P<0.001) higher than in C group, and also the increase in live weight by 14.55% (P<0.001) was admitted. We found out an increase in average daily weight gain by 17.27% (P<0.001) in the E group, pointing that the cost of feed to obtain 1 kg of weight gain was lower by 14.61% comparing to the C group. In the second fattening period from 81 to 118 days of life, the live weight in E group increased by 15.4% (P<0.001), live weight gain and average daily weight gain increased by 17.94% (P<0.001), compared to C group, whereas the feed costs per 1 kg of weight gain decreased by 15.38% (P˃0.001). In the third period of fattening, which lasted from 119 to 165 days of life, the feed consumption per 1 kg of weight gain in E group was significantly lower by 9.06 (P˃0.001), and an increase in live weight and average daily weight gain by 9.86% (P<0.001) was noted.