PSIII-21 Effect of active, dry yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ActiSaf HR+®) on postweaning performance, diarrhea and immune parameters of nursery pigs in cleaned or dirty environmental conditions

Abstract

Abstract Weaning imposes multiple stressors that reduce feed intake and impair intestinal integrity. Furthermore, poor environmental management could compound the high stress period increasing morbidity and mortality of postweaning piglets. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of supplemental Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ActiSaf HR+®) on postweaning growth performance, fecal scores and immune parameters in a clean or dirty nursery environment. The experiment was a 2 X 2 factorial design with 2 dietary treatments fed in a sanitized (following barn SOP) and un-sanitized (pits flushed, feeders and pens scraped) nursery environment. Weaned piglets (n = 260 and 5pigs/pen; 14.7±1.5lbs wt., 20.8d of age) were allotted to the following dietary treatments: 1) control or 2) ActiSaf HR+® (0.1% in phase 1 and 2 and 0.05% phase 3 diets) for 5-wks postweaning. On days 3, 7, 14, 21 and 35 fecal scores/pen and blood samples were collected for monitoring diarrhea and measurement of cytokines. Overall, pigs fed ActiSaf tended towards greater ADG compared to control fed pigs regardless of environment (P = 0.09; 379 vs. 357 g/d, ActiSaf vs control, respectively). Final pen weights at d35 were greater in ActiSaf vs. control fed pigs (101 vs. 97 kg/pen; P < 0.05). Pigs reared in the dirty vs clean environment had reduced overall ADG (352 vs 384 g/d, respectively; P = 0.01), and pigs in the dirty environment tended towards higher overall feed:gain compared to pigs in clean environments; 1.87 vs. 1.76 g/g (P = 0.09). Diarrhea scores were increased in the dirty environment compared to the clean environment on days 3 and 7 (P < 0.01). Serum TNF-a concentrations were not significantly affected by diet or environment. In conclusion, nursery pigs raised in clean environments had higher ADG and improved feed conversion than pigs reared in a dirty environment. Pigs fed diets containing ActiSaf HR+® tended towards increased ADG regardless of environment.