The effects of Re-3, a Direct-Fed Microbial (DFM) product on the growth performance, blood profile and carcass characteristics of pigs.

2010

English

A feeding trial involving forty-eight (48) Large White starter pigs (24 barrows and 24 gilts) was conducted at the Livestock Section of the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. The 21-week study was carried out to investigate the effects of Direct-fed microbials (DFM) on the growth performance, blood profile and carcass characteristics of pigs. Pigs with an overall mean initial liveweight of 10.38 kg, were selected and randomly allocated to three dietary treatments (designated as CONTROL, DFM-1, and DFM-2) based on sex and liveweight. Each treatment had sixteen (16) pigs and was replicated four (4) times and each replicate consisted of two (2) barrows and two (2) gilts. The experimental design used was Randomized Complete Block Design. The study was conducted in two phases, i.e. the Starter and Grower phases. The Starter phase lasted five (5) weeks and the diets offered each contained 18% CP whereas during the Grower phase, the diets offered contained 16% CP and its duration was from the sixth week until the end of the experiment. There was no DFM in the CONTROL diet. The DFM-1 and DFM-2 dietary treatments were the same as the Control diet but at feeding time 1.5 (DFM-1) and 3.0 ml of DFM (DFM-2)/kg diet were added. This rate of DFM inclusion was the same for the two phases of the study. Both feed and water were provided ad-libitum. Pigs were weighed at weekly intervals and those attaining the specified weight of 70± 0.5kg on the weighing day were removed and slaughtered immediately for carcass characteristics and blood studies. Feed samples were collected for the two different phases for proximate analyses. The DFM supplementation in the diets did not significantly (P>0.05) influence mean daily feed intake, daily weight gains, feed efficiency, and the number of days to slaughter. The full and empty GIT weights, dressed weight, dressing percentage, backfat thickness, loin eye area and the weights of the internal organs were also similar (P>0.05) The feed cost per kg weight gain was however significantly (P<0.05) increased at the higher inclusion level of DFM (i.e. 3.0 ml DFM/kg diet). The haematological and serum biochemical parameters were not significantly different (P>0.05) among the dietary treatments except for serum albumin. It was concluded that RE-3 (DFM) inclusion in the diets of pigs did not have any significant (P>0.05) effect on their growth performance, carcass characteristics and most blood profile constituents.

Amoah, K. O.