Evaluation of AviPlus on Growth Performance of Nursery and Growing-Finishing Pigs

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of AviPlus (a combination of micro-encapsulated sorbic and citric acids and synthetic thymol and vanillin botani­cals; Vetagro Inc., Chicago, IL) on growth performance during the wean-to-finish period in a commercial research environment. A total of 1,215 pigs (L337 × 1050; PIC, Hendersonville, TN) were used in a 156-d wean-to-finish experiment. Pigs were weaned at approximately 21 d of age and placed in pens based on initial body weight (BW) with 27 pigs per pen in a randomized complete block design. During the 42-day nursery period, pigs were allotted to 1 of 2 treatments in an unbalanced treatment structure with 15 pens (replications) fed the control diet and 30 pens (replications) fed diets containing AviPlus at 6 lb/ton from d 0 to 21 and 2 lb/ton from d 21 to 42. On d 42, pigs were transported as intact pens from the nursery to the commer­cial finishing facility. During the finishing period 3 treatments were applied, which included: 1) pigs on the control diet in nursery remained on control diets; 2) 50% of pigs in nursery provided AviPlus were then fed 1 lb AviPlus throughout finishing; and 3) 50% of pigs in nursery provided AviPlus were then fed the control diet throughout finishing. All pens on finishing treatments 2 and 3 were allotted based on ending nursery BW to the finishing treatment. There were 15 replications per treatment in the finishing period. From d 0 to 21, pigs fed diets with AviPlus had a tendency for improved (P < 0.058) F/G when compared to pigs fed the control diet; however, there was no evidence of difference (P > 0.05) for ADG, ADFI, or d 21 BW. From d 21 to 42, there was no evidence of difference (P > 0.05) for ADG, ADFI, or F/G. For the overall nursery period (d 0 to 42), pigs fed diets with AviPlus had improved (P < 0.05) F/G when compared to pigs fed the control diet, but there was no evidence of differ­ence (P > 0.05) for d 42 BW, ADG, or ADFI between treatments. From d 42 to 106, there was no evidence of difference (P > 0.05) for ADG, ADFI, and F/G. However, from d 106 to 156, pigs fed diets containing AviPlus in both the nursery and finishing periods had decreased (P < 0.05) ADG when compared to pigs fed the control diet