PSVI-9 Pigs Weaned from Sows Fed a Feed Flavor Had Improved Nursery Growth Performance, But Added Feed Flavor in Nursery Diets Did Not Impact Performance

Abstract

Abstract A total of 360 weanling pigs (DNA 241 × 600: initially 5.7 ± 0.03 kg) were used to evaluate the effects of a sow lactation feed flavor treatment (control vs added flavor) with or without added feed flavor in nursery diets on pig growth performance. Pigs were weaned at approximately 19 d of age from sows fed diets with or without 0.05% feed flavor (Krave AP, Adisseo, Alpharetta, GA). Pigs were placed in pens within sow treatment with 5 to 6 pigs per pen and were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 dietary nursery treatments. There were 14 to 17 replications per treatment and the trial lasted 38 days. Nursery treatments were either a control diet or a diet containing a feed flavor (Delistart #NA 21, Adisseo, Alpharetta, GA) added at 0.05% of the diet. Dietary treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of sow and nursery treatment. Offspring from sows fed the flavor diet were heavier at weaning (P < 0.001) which was maintained throughout the nursery portion of the study (Table 1). No differences (P > 0.10) were observed for ADG, ADFI, or G:F during phase 1 (d 1 to 9). During phase 2 (d 9 to 24), there was a tendency (P < 0.10) for a main effect of both nursery and sow diet on ADG, with pigs from sows fed the flavor diet having greater ADG compared with pigs from sows fed the control diet and pigs fed the nursery diet without flavor having increased ADG compared with those fed the flavored diet. A tendency (P = 0.094) was observed for a main effect of sow treatment on ADFI during phase 2, with pigs from sows fed the flavor diet having greater ADFI. During phase 3 (d 24 to 38), a tendency (P = 0.075) was observed for an interaction between sow and nursery diet for ADG with pigs fed the flavor diet from sows fed the flavor diet having greater (P < 0.05) ADG but no difference (P > 0.10) was observed when pigs were obtained from sows fed the control diet. There was also a main effect (P < 0.05) of nursery treatment on both ADFI and G:F, where pigs fed the feed flavor diet had greater ADFI but poorer G:F. Overall, progeny from sows fed a diet containing a feed flavor had greater ADG (P = 0.038), ADFI (P = 0.043), and final BW (P < 0.001) during the nursery trial. In conclusion, offspring from sows fed a feed flavor during lactation had increased ADG, ADFI, and BW, but the presence of a feed flavor in the nursery diets did not elicit differences in overall nursery performance.