Abstract
Abstract The objective of this study was to determine if benzoic acid in combination of a direct fed microbial could improve grow-finish performance in swine. Three hundred and twenty (DNA 600 X 241, DNA Genetics, Columbus, NE) barrows and gilts were used to evaluate the effect of benzoic acid (BA; VevoVitall, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ) with or without a direct fed microbial (DFM; PureGro, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ) on the growth performance of pigs from approximately 35 to 125 kg. Pigs were sorted by sex, randomly placed into complete blocks, and equalized by weight (40 pens total). Pigs were fed a common diet for 11 days. Following acclimation, pens were assigned to one of four dietary treatments: standard commercial (PC), 85% PC SID lysine and lowered crude protein (NC), PC plus BA (BA at 0.3% inclusion), and PC plus BA and DFM (BA+DFM at 0.3 and 0.025% inclusion, respectively). Ultrasound was conducted to evaluate body composition on day 81. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS with pen as the experimental unit. Results were considered significant at P≤0.05 and a trend at P >0.05 and P≤0.10. Pigs fed BA had increased ADG compared to pigs fed PC (1.11 vs. 1.07 kg/d, P=0.02) and NC (1.11 vs. 1.07 kg/d, P=0.01), and similar ADG compared to pigs fed BA+DFM (1.11 vs. 1.09, P=0.21). G:F in pigs fed BA tended to be higher compared to pigs fed NC (0.175 vs. 0.172, P=0.06), and similar compared to pigs fed PC (0.175 vs. 0.176, P=0.51) and BA+DFM (0.175 vs. 0.174, P=0.73). There was a tendency in therapeutic intervention frequency across treatments (P=0.07). In conclusion, reducing lysine and crude protein levels resulted in poorer feed efficiency and BA resulted in increased gain in growing and finishing pigs from approximately 35 to 125 kg.
Accepted Version
Published Version
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