Evaluation of effect of probiotics mixture supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, faecal bacterial enumeration, and noxious gas emission in weaning pigs

Abstract

A total of 180 twenty-eight-day-old weaning pigs [Duroc × (Yorkshire × Landrace)] with an average body weight of 7.62 ± 1.25 kg were used in a 42-day trial to evaluate the effect of probiotics mixture supplementation on weaning pigs. Pigs were randomly allotted to one of four dietary treatments: (1) CON, basal diet, (2) T1, CON + 0.1% probiotics mixture, (3) T2, CON + 0.2% probiotics mixture, and (4) T4, CON + 0.3% probiotics mixture. Increasing dietary inclusion of probiotics mixture levels linearly increased average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) during day 0–7 as well as ADG and gain to feed ratio (G:F) during day 8–21 (p < .05). There was a quadratic effect in improving ADFI during day 0–7, day 22–42, and ADG during day 8–21 (p < .05). In addition, increasing inclusion of probiotics mixture levels in the diets linearly increased (p < .05) dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), energy digestibility, and faecal Lactobacillus counts and decreased Escherichia coli counts and ammonia (NH3) emission. However, no significant differences were observed in ADG, ADFI, G:F during day 22–42, and day 0–42 except for a quadratic increase of ADFI for day 22-42 (p < .05). Feeding the pigs with the diets containing different probiotics mixture levels did not affect the faecal hydrogen sulfide emission (p>.05). In conclusion, increasing inclusion of probiotics mixture up to 0.3% linearly improved growth performance during day 0–7 and day 8–21. Pigs fed the diets with probiotics mixture suplementation improved the nutrient digestibility, faecal bacterial enumeration, and decreased NH3 emission.HighlightsProbiotics mixture supplementation increased growth performance and nutrient digestibility in weaning pigs.Increased fecal Lactobacillus and reduced E. coli counts.Reduced fecal ammonia emission that can contribute in reducing environmental pollution.