PSIV-9 Effect of carbohydrases on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles and fecal microbiota in weanling pigs fed reduced energy diet

Abstract

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of carbohydrases on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles and fecal microbiota in weanling pigs fed reduced energy diet. A total of 160 cross-bred [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc)] weanling pigs with an initial BW of 7.23 ± 1.08 kg were used in this 42-day trial. Pigs were randomly allocated in 1 of the following 4 dietary treatments: (1) PC, positive diet (NE 2,545 kcal/kg); (2) NC, negative diet (NE 2470 kcal/kg); (3) NC1, NC + 0.1% carbohydrases; (4) NC2, NC + 0.2% carbohydrases based on the sex and BW. There were 8 replications (pens) per treatment with 5 pigs per pen. During d 0-7, pigs fed NC diet had lower (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) than those fed PC and NC2 diets. NC group reduced (P < 0.05) ADG throughout the experiment compared with PC and NC2 groups. NC group reduced (P < 0.05) the digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen and gross energy. Taken together, reduced energy diet caused detrimental effects on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in weanlings, while the addition of carbohydrases (0.2%) can partially counteract these negative effects.