Feeding a whole-cell inactivated Pichia guilliermondii yeast to gestating and lactating sows in a commercial production system

A total of 606 sows (PIC 1050) and their progeny (PIC 1050 × 280) were used to determine if feeding gestating and lactating sows a proprietary strain of Pichia guilliermondii as a whole-cell inactivated yeast product (WCY; CitriStim, ADM Animal Nutrition, Quincy, IL) improves sow and litter performance in a commercial production system. Once confirmed pregnant at d 35 post-breeding pregnancy check, sows were fed a basal gestation control (CON) diet (0.55% SID lysine) or the control diet fortified with 0.15% of the WCY replacing corn in the CON diet. Dietary treatments were also fed in lactation (1.05% SID lysine) once sows were moved into farrowing crates on approximately d 112 of gestation until weaning. Sows supplemented with WCY in gestation and lactation had increased total born piglets by 0.45 pigs (P < 0.04), piglets born alive (14.27 vs. 13.85; P < 0.04), and, therefore, heavier born alive litter weights (P < 0.001) compared to CON fed sows. A greater post cross-foster litter size (P < 0.001) meant that litter size at weaning was increased by 0.54 pigs when sows were fed WCY compared to CON (P < 0.001). However, litter weaning weights and 21-d adjusted litter weaning weights were similar (P > 0.158), although numerically greater, for WCY fed sows. Pigs from CON fed sows were 0.35 kg heavier at weaning compared to pigs from WCY fed sows (P < 0.001). This increase in weaning weight of pigs from CON fed sows is partially explained by their 0.93 d longer lactation (P < 0.001) and may also be due to the smaller litter size throughout lactation. The percent of litters treated for scours decreased from 38.3 to 14.2% when sows were fed WCY (P < 0.001). The distribution of birth and weaning weights was not impacted (P > 0.2461) by treatment. In conclusion, feeding gestating and lactating sows a proprietary strain of Pichia guilliermondii as a whole-cell inactivated yeast product increased the number of pigs born and weaned, and decreased the prevalence of scours during lactation.

128 Effects of Feeding a Whole-Cell Inactivated Pichia guilliermondii Yeast in Sow and/or Pig Diets on Progeny Nursery and Grow-Finish Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics

A total of 1260 weaned pigs (PIC 359x1050) from 358 sows were used to determine effects of feeding sows and/or their progeny a proprietary strain of Pichia guilliermondii as a whole-cell inactivated yeast product (WCY; CitriStim, ADM Animal Nutrition, Quincy, IL) on nursery and grow-finish growth performance and carcass characteristics. Sows were fed either a basal gestation/lactation control (CON) diet or CON fortified with 0.1% (0.91 kg/ton) WCY throughout gestation and lactation. Progeny were fed either a CON diet, or CON fortified with 0.15% (1.36 kg/ton) WCY in the nursery period and 0.05% (0.45 kg/ton) WCY in grow-finish. Pigs were allotted (21 pigs/pen, 15 pens/treatment) to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2×2 factorial design. For the nursery period (d0-42 post-weaning), there was no difference in ADG or ADFI (P &gt; 0.05). However, pigs fed WCY in the nursery had lower G:F than pigs fed CON (P = 0.029). Livability of nursery pigs produced from CON fed sows was 92.22% and trended to improve to 94.23% for pigs produced by WCY fed sows (P = 0.157). During the grow-finish period, pigs from sows fed WCY had greater overall ADG (d0-end; 0.89 kg/d vs. 0.92 kg/d), ADFI (2.19 kg/d vs. 2.24 kg/d), and final body weight (BW; 133.97 kg vs. 136.04 kg) compared with pigs from CON fed sows (P &lt; 0.016). A greater hot carcass weight (HCW; 98.51 kg vs. 100.48 kg) and carcass yield percentage was observed for pigs produced from WCY fed sows compared with pigs produced by sows fed CON (P &lt; 0.023). Livability during the grow-finish period was 95.09% for pigs from CON fed sows and trended to increase to 96.92% for pigs produced from WCY fed sows (P = 0.146). In conclusion, feeding sows WCY contributed to improving their progeny’s grow-finish ADG, ADFI, final BW, HCW, and carcass yield percentage. Additionally, a trend for improved combined wean-to-finish livability of 3.84% from sows fed WCY may be meaningful.

PSIII-13 Effects of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Products on Lactating Sow Performance

Lactating sows (N=140, York x Landrace) were used to evaluate the effects of a liquid prototype (LIQP) and dry (XPC®; Diamond V) Saccharomyces cerevisiae feed additives on sow and litter performance. Sows were fed a common gestation diet (0.55% SID-Lysine) until d112 of pregnancy and then allotted to lactation treatments: 1) Control diet (CON; 1.00% SID-Lysine), 2) CON +15 mL of LIQP from d112 to weaning (LIQ), 3) CON +0.20% of XPC from d112 to weaning (DRY), and 4) DRY +15 mL of LIQP from d112 to d7 post-farrowing (D+L). The LIQP was given once daily using an oral dose gun and XPC was included in the feed. Immunoglobulin concentrations were estimated on colostrum samples using Brix refractometer and piglet d 1 serum immunocrit ratio and plasma IgA and IgG. Daily sow water intake and daily feed intake (DFI) from d112 of gestation to d7 post-farrowing and weekly feed intake (ADFI) were recorded. There were no treatment effects on sow BW, backfat, or loin depth (P &gt;0.05) although sows from LIQ group had numerically smaller BW reductions compared to CON sows (4.9% vs 7.2%, P=0.19). LIQ sows had greater DFI and CON lower DFI during week 1 of lactation (P=0.04) as well as ADFI for weeks 2, 3, and overall lactation period (P&lt; 0.01) with DRY and D+L sows being intermediate. Water intake, immunoglobulins, and litter performance did not differ among treatments (P &gt;0.05) although pigs from LIQ sows, compared to CON, had numerically increased weaning (6.14 vs 5.82kg, P &gt;0.05) and litter weights (63.2 vs 60.1kg, P &gt;0.05). LIQ sows had 0.7 d reduced wean-to-estrus interval (P&lt; 0.001) and tended to have greater conception rates (P=0.07). In conclusion, LIQ supplementation of lactating sows improves feed intake, allowing sows to keep body reserves, and have better subsequent rebreeding performance.

241 Evaluation of a DFM and OA, Alone or in Combination, on Sow Reproductive and Litter Growth Performance

Forty-seven sows and their progeny were used to determine if feeding gestating and lactating sows a Bacillus licheniformis direct-fed microbial (DFM), an organic acid blend of medium chain and short chain fatty acids (OA), or in combination improves sow lactation feed and water intake, litter growth, and subsequent reproductive performance. On approximately d80 of gestation, sows were fed one of four diets in a 2 x 2 factorial design: 1) gestation control (CON; 0.55% SID Lysine), 2) CON with DFM (1.6x109 CFU/kg of complete feed), 3) CON with 0.4% OA, 4) CON with both DFM and OA. Dietary treatments were also fed throughout lactation (1.00% SID Lysine) starting on approximately d112 of gestation when sows entered farrowing facility. There was a tendency (P = 0.079) for DFM to decrease the amount of sow body weight loss in lactation by approximately 6% compared to sows not consuming the DFM, likely related to DFM sows numerically (P = 0.124) consuming 8.4% more feed during d7-14 of lactation. Sows fed the OA diets had fewer mummies/litter (P = 0.038) compared to diets not containing OA. Sows fed diets with the DFM gave birth to lighter pigs born alive (P = 0.003) compared to non-DFM fed sows, and a tendency for an interaction (P = 0.092) existed where feeding OA+DFM lessened the decrease in born alive BW. There was an interaction tendency (P = 0.133) where sows fed DFM returned to estrus 22 hours sooner than CON, but only 8 hours sooner when sows were fed the OA+DFM diet. In conclusion, feeding a Bacillus licheniformis DFM to sows may decrease pig born alive weight but reduce sow BW loss through 6.4% more lactation feed intake, quickening the return to estrus. Feeding the OA alone or in combination did not improve sow reproductive and litter growth performance in this study, and may require a larger sample size.

259 Effects of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Products on Lactating Sow’s Blood and Uterine Cytokine Profiles

This study evaluated the effects of a liquid prototype (LIQP) and dry (XPC®; Diamond V) Saccharomyces cerevisiae feed additives on blood and uterine cytokine profiles in sows (n = 40). On d 112 of pregnancy sows were allotted to dietary treatments: 1) Control diet (CON), 2) CON +15 mL of LIQP (LIQ), 3) CON +0.20% of XPC (DRY), and 4) DRY +15 mL of LIQP until d 7 post-farrowing (D+L). Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were quantified from serum samples collected on d 112 of gestation, d 2 and 6 post-farrowing, and from uterine fluid collected on d 2, 4, and 6 post-farrowing. Serum C-Reactive protein (CRP) and haptoglobin concentrations were evaluated. No interactions between treatments and day of collection were observed (P &gt; 0.13). LIQ and D+L sows had the greatest serum IL-10 concentration (P &lt; 0.001) and sows fed CON tended to have lower concentration of IL-8 (P &lt; 0.06) vs. other treatments. Serum CRP concentrations were greatest on d 2 (P &lt; 0.001), serum IL-10 (P &lt; 0.04) and IL-4 (P &lt; 0.07) linearly decreased while serum haptoglobin (P &lt; 0.02) and INF-γ (P &lt; 0.001) linearly increased post-farrowing. In the uterine fluid, LIQ and D+L sows had greater INF-γ (P = 0.04) concentrations and CON tended to have the least concentration of TNF-α (P = 0.08). Uterine fluid IL-1 tended to linearly increase (P &lt; 0.07) and IL-6 linearly decrease (P &lt; 0.01) post-farrowing. No strong correlations were detected between cytokines in the serum and uterine fluid within day. LIQ sows had the greatest daily feed intake and CON the least during the first week of lactation (P = 0.04). Providing LIQP post-farrowing to sows modified immune response increasing both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in serum and uterine fluid in an independent manner, allowing animals a quicker recovery and increased feed intake.

242 Evaluation of a DFM and OA, Alone or in Combination, on Sow Offspring’s Nursery Growth Performance

Progeny from sows fed diets containing a Bacillus licheniformis direct-fed microbial (DFM), an organic acid blend of medium and short chain fatty acids (OA), DFM+OA, or a control (CON) diet from d80 of gestation until weaning were used to determine if feeding CON, DFM, OA, or DFM+OA to the dam and/or progeny post-weaning improved nursery growth performance. Weaned pigs from 47 dams (n = 384, Initial BW=6.15 kg) were blocked by initial BW and sex and allotted (6 pigs/pen, 8 pens/treatment) to one of 8 nursery treatments. Pigs from CON sows were fed a negative (NC; no antibiotics, pharmacological Zn or Cu) or positive [PC; Neo-Terramycin phases 1 and 2 (827 and 551 ppm) and Carbadox phase 3 (55 ppm)] control diet. Pigs from sows fed DFM, OA, or DFM+OA were fed the NC diet or a diet representative of their dam. Diets with DFM contained 1.6x109 CFU/kg DFM and diets with OA contained 0.5, 0.4, and 0.3% OA in phases 1–3, respectively. Weaning weight was used as a covariate for nursery performance. For all phases and overall, PC fed pigs had greater ADG, ADFI, and G:F (P &lt; 0.05). Feeding DFM or OA in sow diets improved (interaction; P&lt; 0.042) nursery pig G:F, but DFM+OA offspring had no improvement for d7–14, 0–14, and 0–21 G:F. Feeding DFM or OA to sows and their progeny decreased ADFI (interaction; P &lt; 0.042) but improved G:F (interaction; P &lt; 0.028) for d7–14 and 0–14 with DFM+OA having no improvement above CON. For d14–21 and 0–21, feeding DFM or OA to sows and their progeny decreased ADFI whereas DFM+OA increased ADFI above CON (interaction; P &lt; 0.019). In conclusion, feeding DFM or OA to sows or their offspring may improve nursery feed efficiency and feeding DFM+OA diet to sows and their progeny may increase ADFI late in the nursery period.

56 The Effect of a Developmental Bacillus Direct-fed Microbial on Nursery Pig Growth Performance and Health

A developmental Bacillus based direct-fed microbial (DFM) was added to nursery pig diets to evaluate the effect on growth and health in two 35-d randomized complete block design experiments blocked on initial BW and sex. Experiment 1 used 315 weaned pigs (20.1 d of age; 6.11 kg initial BW) allotted to one of three diets: 1) Negative Control (NC; no antibiotics but with pharmacological Zn or Cu), 2) NC+DFM 0.55x109CFU, 3) NC+DFM 1.1x109CFU. Experiment 2 used 376 weaned pigs (17.8 d of age; 5.99 kg initial BW) allotted to one of four diets, the same 3 diets from Experiment 1 plus a lower inclusion rate: 4) NC+DFM 0.275x109CFU. Both studies had 15 replicates/treatment, 6–7 pigs/pen. Pigs were budget fed phase 1–3 diets (1.13 kg/pig; 2.72 kg/pig; and 6.35 kg/pig, respectively) and ad libitum fed Phase 4 diet to d35. For Experiment 1, during week 1 pigs fed the DFM tended to linearly decrease ADFI (P = 0.086) and linearly increase G:F (P = 0.085). During day 21–35 of Experiment 1 pigs fed DFM linearly increased ADG (P = 0.035) and quadratically increased ADFI (P = 0.027). Overall for experiment 1, ADG (P = 0.114) and ADFI (P = 0.104) tended to quadratically increase and G:F linearly increased (P = 0.012) with increasing concentrations of DFM. Experiment 2; during week 1 and 3 ADFI (P = 0.084, P = 0.050, respectively) quadratically increased and G:F (P = 0.081; P = 0.022, respectively) quadratically decreased as DFM increased in the diet. During d21–35 of experiment 2, ADG (P = 0.064) quadratically increased and G:F (P = 0.012) quadratically decreased as DFM increased. Overall for Experiment 2 ADFI numerically increased (4.3%) with no increase in ADG, resulting in a quadratic decrease in G:F (P = 0.010) as the DFM increased in the diet. Summarizing these two studies, the DFM product had its greatest effect increasing ADFI while inconsistently impacting gain and efficiency.

PSVI-17 The Effect of Dacitic Tuff Breccia Alone or in Combination with Poultry By-products on Nursery Pig Growth Performance

Dacitic tuff breccia (DTB) and poultry by-products (PBP) were added to nursery pig diets to evaluate their effects on growth performance in a 35 d experiment. A randomized complete block design based on BW and sex was used. Newly weaned pigs (N=564, 20.1 d of age, 6.18±0.006 kg initial BW) allotted to four diets (15 replicates/treatment; 9 or 10 pigs/pen): 1) Negative control (NC; no DTB or PBP), 2) NC+DTB (0.5% inclusion), 3) NC+PBP (4% chicken by-product meal + 2% feather meal – replacing fishmeal, corn, and synthetic amino acids in the NC), 4) NC+DTB+PBP. Phase 1–3 were each 7-d and Phase 4 was from d21-35. During week one there were no differences (P &gt;0.10) among treatments. In week 2, pigs fed DTB tended to increase ADG (323 vs. 303 g/d; P=0.068) and ADFI (376 vs. 356 g/d; P=0.055) compared to pigs not fed DTB and pigs fed PBP tended to have increased ADG (P=0.093). In week 3 pigs fed PBP had reduced ADG (460 vs 483 g/d; P=0.011) and G:F (0.689 vs. 0.723; P&lt; 0.001), and there tended to be an interaction for G:F (P=0.083) with DTB improving G:F when fed in combination with PBP but reducing G:F in the control diet. In week 4, feeding PBP decreased ADG (384 vs 415 g/d; P&lt; 0.01) and ADFI (629 vs 666 g/d; P&lt; 0.01) compared to pigs fed no PBP. There were no differences among treatments during week 5. For Phase 4 (d21-35) pigs fed PBP had decreased ADG (479 vs 497 g/d; P=0.041) and tended to have reduced ADFI (P=0.092) compared to pigs fed no PBP. Overall (d 0–35), there were no significant differences among treatments. In conclusion, DTB improved nursery pig growth performance early, however, pigs fed PBP had decreased ADG and feed efficiency late in the nursery period.

PSIX-6 Effect of dacitic tuff breccia in nursery diets on pig growth performance, blood parameters, and intestinal morphology

Trace element and mineral intake are important for proper function of the immune system and various metabolic processes. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of a dacitic tuff breccia (DTB), classified as a hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate, in the diet of nursery pigs. Dietary treatments were: 1) Control diet (CON), 2) CON + 0.25% DTB (DTB1), and 3) CON + 0.50% DTB (DTB2). Pigs (6.79 + 0.064 kg; 26d of age) were individually housed and fed dietary treatments for 21 d (n=48; 16/trt). At the end of the experiment, blood, jejunal, and ileal samples were collected for a typical metabolic panel and basic histologic and morphologic measurements. DTB2 fed pigs tended (P=0.07) to have greater ADG than CON and DTB1 fed pigs (392, 397, 430g/d for CON, DTB1, DTB2, respectively), and greater (P=0.008) ADFI (591, 592, 669g/d for CON, DTB1, DTB2, respectively). Gain:Feed was not different (P=0.75) among treatments (0.655, 0.663, 0.644 for CON, DTB1, DTB2, respectively). Crypt depth in the jejunum was greater (P=0.04) for DTB1 compared to CON fed pigs but did not differ from DTB2 fed pigs (254.7, 292.0, 275.6mm for CON, DTB1, DTB2, respectively). Villous height, villous:crypt, number of goblet cells and intraepithelial lymphocytes did not differ among treatments in both ileum and jejunum (P &gt;0.17). Total white blood cell (WBC) count did not differ (P &gt;0.10). However, the proportion of WBC that were monocytes was lower (P=0.024) in DTB1 compared to CON and DTB2 fed pigs (1.27, 0.79, 1.45% for CON, DTB1, DTB2, respectively). Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) concentration tended (P=0.06) to be linearly decreased with increasing DTB concentrations (9.27, 8.80, 7.75mg/dL). DTB inclusion at 0.5% in nursery pig diets tended to improve growth performance, while inclusion at 0.25% increased jejunal crypt depth and reduced monocytes:WBC and increasing DTB concentrations tended to decreased BUN linearly.

275 Feeding a whole-cell inactivated Pichia guilliermondi yeast to gestating and lactating sows in a commercial production system

A total of 606 sows (PIC 1050) and their progeny (PIC 1050×280) were used to determine if feeding gestating and lactating sows a proprietary strain of Pichia guilliermondi as a whole-cell inactivated yeast product (WCY; CitriStim, ADM Animal Nutrition, Quincy, IL) improves sow and litter performance in a commercial production system. Once confirmed pregnant at d 35 post-breeding pregnancy check, sows were fed either a basal gestation control (CON) diet (0.55% SID Lysine) or the control diet fortified with 0.15% (1.36 kg/ton) of the WCY replacing corn in the CON diet. Dietary treatments were also fed in lactation (1.05% SID Lysine) once sows were moved into farrowing crates on approximately d 112 of gestation until weaning. Sows supplemented with WCY in gestation and lactation had a greater number of total born piglets by 0.45 pigs (P=0.040), born alive (P&lt; 0.04), heavier born alive litter weight (P&lt; 0.001), and greater post cross-foster litter size (P&lt; 0.001) compared to CON fed sows. Litter size at weaning was increased by 0.54 pigs when sows were fed WCY compared to CON (P&lt; 0.001). However, the average piglet weaning weights from CON fed sows were heavier by 0.35 kg compared to WCY (P&lt; 0.001). This increase in body weight of piglets from CON fed sows is partially explained by their 0.93 days longer lactation (P&lt; 0.001), and may also be due to the smaller litter size nursed throughout lactation. The percent of litters treated for scours decreased from 38.3% to 14.2% when sows were fed WCY (P&lt; 0.001). The distribution of birth weights by body weight range was not different (P=0.2461) between treatments. In conclusion, feeding gestating and lactating sows a proprietary strain of Pichia guilliermondi as a whole-cell inactivated yeast product increased the number of piglets born and number weaned as well as decreased the prevalence of scours during lactation.

185 Effect of dacitic tuff breccia in nursery diets on pig growth performance and nutrient digestibility

For proper function of many metabolic processes trace element and mineral intake is important. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the addition of a dacitic tuff breccia (DTB), a hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate, on nursery pig growth and nutrient digestibility. Dietary treatments were: 1) Control (CON) and 2) CON+0.50% DTB (DTB). Pigs (7.73±0.205 kg; 26 d of age) were individually housed and fed for 20d (n=24, 12/trt). Nutrient digestibility was evaluated using individual metabolism pens for 3d total collection of feces and urine during the last week of evaluation. DTB had no effect on pig performance during week 1 (P &gt;0.28). Week 2 ADG (128 versus 302 g/d; P=0.02), BW (10.63 versus 11.77 kg; P=0.03), and G:F (0.275 versus 0.608; P=0.02) were improved for DTB compared to CON fed pigs. Week 3 ADFI was greater for DTB fed pigs compared to CON (642 vs 768 g/d; P=0.01). Overall (d0-20), DTB fed pigs had greater ADG (279 versus 352 g/d; P=0.04), final BW (13.3 versus 14.8 kg; P=0.04), and numerically greater ADFI (497 versus 558 g/d; P=0.16) and G:F (0.562 versus 0.624; P=0.22) compared to CON. During the collection period, ADG was numerically increased (396 versus 427 g/d; P=0.69) and ADFI (544 vs 668 g/d; P=0.03) was greater for DTB versus CON fed pigs. Nutrient digestibility was not affected by inclusion of DTB in the diet (P &gt;0.05). Digestibility coefficients for CON and DTB, respectively, were: 0.863 and 0.856 for DM; 0.842 and 0.842 for digestible energy; 0.824 and 0.814 for nitrogen; 0.701 and 0.667 for phosphorus; 0.873 and 0.816 for sodium; 0.481 and 0.431 for zinc; 0.517 and 0.458 for iron; and 0.438 and 0.392 for manganese. DTB in nursery pig diets improved growth performance and tended to improve feed intake, but had no effect on nutrient digestibility.

278 Feeding a whole-cell inactivated Pichia guilliermondi yeast to gestating and lactating sows over two consecutive parities

A total of 535 sows and their progeny (PIC 359×1050) were used to determine the effect of feeding gestating and lactating sows a proprietary strain of Pichia guilliermondi as a whole-cell inactivated yeast product (WCY; CitriStim, ADM Animal Nutrition, Quincy, IL) on sow and litter performance in a commercial production system. Within 24 hours of breeding, sows were allotted to 1 of 2 dietary treatments. Parity distribution was equalized across treatments. Sows were fed either a basal gestation control (CON) diet or CON fortified with 0.1% (0.91 kg/ton) of the WCY at the expense of corn throughout gestation. Sow dietary treatments were also maintained through lactation. Of the 535 sows that completed the initial reproductive cycle (cycle 1), 358 sows were maintained on dietary treatment and followed through a second gestation and lactation (cycle 2). The direction and magnitude of the differences in total born and born alive pigs in cycle 1 and cycle 2 was similar between treatments. Supplementing sows with WCY in cycle 1 increased the number of total born pigs by 0.59 pigs/litter (P=0.038) and tended to increase the number of pigs born alive by 0.52 pigs/litter (P=0.064) compared to CON fed sows. For cycle 2, the total number of born and born alive pigs numerically increased by 0.44 pigs/litter (P=0.180) and 0.43 pigs/litter (P=0.179) respectively for sows fed WCY. The distribution of pig birth weights was not different between treatments in cycle 1 (P=0.536) nor cycle 2 (P=0.256). Also, the litter growth rate on a weight gain per pig per day basis was not different between treatments in cycle 1 (P=0.103) nor cycle 2 (P=0.379). In conclusion, feeding gestating and lactating sows a proprietary strain of Pichia guilliermondi as a whole-cell inactivated yeast product significantly increased the number of total born pigs during cycle 1.

PSVII-14 The effects of maternal dietary supplementation of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and 25(OH)D3 on progeny muscle fiber measures

A total of 36 sows (DNA Line 200 × 400) and their progeny were used to determine if feeding a combination of vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D3 influences progeny muscle fiber morphometrics. Within 3 d of breeding, sows were allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments fortified with 1,500 IU/kg vitamin D3 (CON), 500 IU/kg vitamin D3 + 25 μg/kg 25(OH)D3 (DL), or 1,500 IU/kg vitamin D3 + 50 μg/kg 25(OH)D3 (DH). One average body weight male per litter was euthanized within 24 h of birth (n = 36) and at weaning on d 21 of lactation (n = 35). Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design with maternal dietary treatment as the fixed effect. When pigs were sacrificed at birth, there were no treatment effects for fiber morphometric measures (P > 0.170), except for primary fiber number and secondary to primary muscle fiber ratio (P < 0.016). Pigs from CON fed sows had fewer primary fibers than pigs from sows fed the DH treatment (P = 0.014), with the DL treatment not differing from either (P > 0.104). Pigs from CON and DL fed sows had greater secondary to primary fiber ratios compared to pigs from DH sows (P < 0.022), but did not differ from each other (P = 0.994). When pigs were sacrificed at weaning, there were no treatment effects on all fiber morphometric measures (P > 0.129). In conclusion, combining vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D3 in the maternal diet increased primary muscle fibers at birth, but this effect was not seen at weaning.

PSVII-13 The effects of maternal dietary supplementation of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and 25(OH)D3 on sow and progeny vitamin D3 status

A total of 69 sows (DNA Line 200 × 400) and their progeny were used to determine if feeding a combination of vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D3 influences neonatal and sow vitamin D3 status. Within 3 d of breeding, sows were allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments fortified with 1,500 IU/kg vitamin D3 (CON), 500 IU/kg vitamin D3 + 25 μg/kg 25(OH)D3 (DL), or 1,500 IU/kg vitamin D3 + 50 μg/kg 25(OH)D3 (DH). There were treatment × time interactions for sow and pig serum metabolites (P < 0.001). Therefore, treatment means were compared within time period. At all time periods, sow serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations differed for all treatments with the magnitude of difference largest at weaning (P < 0.011), where serum 25(OH)D3 concentration was always the greatest when sows were fed the DH diet. At birth, piglets from DH fed sows had greater serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations than piglets from sows fed the DL treatment (P = 0.003), with piglets from sows fed CON treatment not differing from either (P > 0.061). At weaning, serum concentrations of 25(OH)D3 in piglets from all sow treatments were different (P < 0.001), with the greatest concentration in piglets from DH sows, followed by CON, and followed by DL. There were no treatment × time interactions for any of the metabolites measured in milk and no main effects for 24,25(OH)2D3 concentration (P > 0.068). Colostrum collected within 12 h of parturition contained less (P = 0.001) 25(OH)D3 than milk collected on d 21 of lactation. Regardless of time, concentrations of 25(OH)D3 in milk were different (P < 0.030), with the largest 25(OH)D3 concentration from DH fed sows, followed by DL and then CON. In conclusion, combining vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D3 in the maternal diet improves the vitamin D3 status of the dam and progeny.

146 Effects of feeding soluble fiber (dextrin) to pigs pre- and post-weaning on growth performance and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production

Thirty-two barrows were used in a 35-d experiment with the objective of evaluating effects of supplemental soluble fiber (dextrin) pre- and post-weaning on growth performance and VFA production. Pigs were blocked by genetics and BW, and randomly allotted to treatments in a 2x2 factorial design with or without fiber pre-weaning and with or without fiber post-weaning. Fiber was suspended in chocolate milk and administered orally through a syringe from 14 d prior to weaning until 4 d post-weaning, after which it was included in the diet at 1%. At weaning, pigs were group housed by treatment and allowed ad libitum access to a common starter diet. On d 4 post-weaning, pigs were moved to individual pens and fed diets with or without 1% fiber. Weights and feed intake were recorded 14 and 3 d prior to weaning and on d 0, 4, 11, and 21 post-weaning. On d 21 post-weaning, pigs were euthanized, and large intestine contents were collected for VFA analysis. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS with pig as the experimental unit. Growth performance was not affected (P > 0.10) by treatment. A trend for an interaction of pre- and post-weaning fiber supplementation was observed for acetate (P = 0.052) and butyrate (P = 0.087) concentrations in large intestine contents. Pigs fed fiber only in the nursery had the highest acetate concentration, while pigs never receiving fiber had the lowest concentration. Pre-weaning fiber supplementation followed by no fiber in the nursery resulted in the highest butyrate concentrations with all other treatments being similar. Fiber supplementation pre-weaning tended (P = 0.053) to reduce isobutyrate concentrations. Pigs not receiving fiber post-weaning had increased valerate concentrations (P = 0.0245). There were no changes observed in propionate or isovalerate concentrations (P > 0.10). Fiber supplementation caused alterations in VFA concentrations when fed during pre- and post-weaning, indicating possible shifts in the microbiome, immune status and barrier function of the intestinal tract.

PSV-14 Effects of Cordyceps mushroom powder on nursery pig performance

The objective of this study was to determine the optimal level of Cordyceps mushroom powder inclusion in diets for nursery pigs. One-hundred sixty crossbred pigs [(Duroc × (York × Landrace)] weaned at 18.8 d of age and weighing an average of 5.94 kg were used in a 35 day, 4 phase growth trial to evaluate Cordyceps mushroom powder as potential alternative to carbadox in nursery pig diets. Pigs were allotted by weight, sex, litter, and assigned to body weight (BW) blocks. Within BW blocks, sex ratios were constant in each pen. Each pen within a BW block was randomly assigned a dietary treatment. Growth performance was analyzed as a RCB design using BW, ADG, ADFI, G:F using GLM procedure of SAS 9.4. There were 5 or 6 pigs/pen and 6 pens/treatment. Five diets were used in the study: a negative diet or a positive control (Carbadox, 55 ppm); 300 or 600 ppm mushroom powder, and a step down treatment (900, 900, 450, 300, 150 ppm mushroom powder during weeks 1 through 5, respectively). At various points of the study, pigs fed the 300 ppm and the step-down mushroom powder treatments tended to have improved (P &lt; 0.10) growth performance compared with those fed the negative control diet. During Phase 4 of the study, pigs fed Carbadox had greater ADG (P &lt; 0.02) and improved feed efficiency (P &lt; 0.09) compared to pigs fed the negative control diet. However, overall data showed that there were no statistical differences among treatments (P &gt; 0.05). In summary, pigs fed 300 ppm mushroom powder or the step-down treatment showed comparable growth performance to pigs fed Carbadox. However, future research is needed under a greater disease challenge to examine mushroom powder’s full potential as an alternative to antibiotics.

PSIV-12 A fortified protein blend as a replacement for animal and fish proteins in nursery pig diets: Effects on growth performance, immune status, microbial metabolites, and fecal scoring

This experiment observed the effects of replacing animal and fish proteins with a fortified protein blend (PROPLEX MVP) on growth performance, immune status, microbial metabolites, and fecal scoring of nursery pigs. A total of 244 barrows and gilts [Duroc x (Landrace x Yorkshire), avg. 19 d age and BW 5.88 ± 1.38 kg] were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design (2 dietary treatments × 2 feeding programs). The dietary treatments were: 1) Control diet (CONT) with animal and fish proteins and 2) PROPLEX MVP (MVP100): CONT with MVP replacing 100% of the animal and fish proteins. The feeding programs for each feeding phase were: high budget (H): Phase 1: 2.3 kg/pig; Phase 2: 4.5 kg/pig; Phase 3: 6.8 kg/pig and low budget (L): Phase 1: 1.1 kg/pig; Phase 2: 2.3 kg/pig; Phase 3: 3.4 kg/pig). For d 0-7, pigs fed CONT had greater ADG, ADFI, and G:F (P < 0.001) compared to MVP100. From d 7 to 14, ADG and G:F were greater (P < 0.05) for pigs fed MVP100 compared to CONT pigs and greater for pigs fed the H budget compared to the L budget (P < 0.05). Overall, d 0 to 35, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in pig final BW, overall ADG, and G:F. For week two and most of the experimental period, pigs fed CONT had greater (P < 0.05) fecal scores, more soft and watery feces, and increased diarrhea incidence compared to MVP100 pigs. The total concentration of fecal volatile fatty acids was greater (P < 0.05) in CONT compared to MVP100 fed pigs. In conclusion, the MVP protein blend can be used as a cost effective alternative to animal and fish proteins in nursery pig diets without compromising overall growth performance, immune status, and post-weaning diarrhea.

PSVI-14 Interactive effects of Cordyceps mushroom powder and carbadox on nursery pig performance

The objective was to evaluate the independent and additive effects of Cordyceps mushroom powder and carbadox to pharmacological copper+zinc in nursery pig diets. Two hundred-ten crossbred weanling pigs [(Duroc × (York × Landrace)] avg. 19 d of age and 5.8 kg were used in a 33 day growth trial. Pigs were alloted by weight, sex, ancestry, and assigned to body weight (BW) blocks. Within BW blocks, sex ratios were constant in each pen. Pen was the experimental unit and growth performance was analyzed using BW, ADG, ADFI, and G:F. There were 7 pigs/pen and 6 pens/treatment. Treatments were: 1) a negative diet (NC); 2) positive control (PC; Carbadox, 55 ppm); 3) NC+300 ppm Cordyceps mushroom powder (NC+MP); 4) PC +300 ppm mushroom(PC+MP); 5) supplemental copper sulfate (125 ppm) and zinc oxide (3000 ppm d 0-7, 2000 ppm d 7-35), CuZn. Dietary treatments were fed in a four-phase feeding program (d0-7, d7-14, d14-21, and d21-33). There were no interactions between MP and Carbadox at any time point (P > 0.10). Pigs fed the PC, PC+MP and CuZn treatment had increased BW (P < 0.05), ADG (P < 0.05), ADFI (P < 0.10) and G:F (P < 0.05) over the NC at the end of phases 1, 2, and 3, with no main effect of MP treatment. During Phase 4, pigs fed MP, PC, and CuZn diets all had increased ADG (P < 0.05; 431, 477, 455, 505, 486 g/d, diet 1-5, respectively) and ADFI (P < 0.05) over the NC fed pigs. Overall, d0-33, PC diets and CuZn supplemented pigs had increased ADG (P < 0.05) and ADFI (P < 0.05), with pigs fed MP tending to have increased ADFI (P < 0.08) over NC fed pigs. Feeding nursery pigs pharmacological levels of Cu+Zn and carbadox have economical value to increase nursery pig performance with MP may increase pig ADFI and final BW through potentially complimentary modes of action.

The effects of maternal dietary supplementation of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and 25(OH)D3 on sow and progeny performance

A total of 69 sows (DNA Line 200 × 400) and their progeny were used to determine if feeding a combination of vitamin D₃ and 25(OH)D₃ influences neonatal and sow vitamin D status, muscle fiber morphometrics at birth and weaning, and subsequent growth performance. Within 3 d of breeding, sows were allotted to one of three dietary treatments fortified with 1,500 IU/kg vitamin D₃ (CON), 500 IU/kg vitamin D₃ + 25 μg/kg 25(OH)D₃ (DL), or 1,500 IU/kg vitamin D₃ + 50 μg/kg 25(OH)D₃ (DH). When pigs were sacrificed at birth, there were no treatment effects for all fiber morphometric measures (P > 0.170), except primary fiber number and the ratio of secondary to primary muscle fibers (P < 0.016). Pigs from CON fed sows had fewer primary fibers than pigs from sows fed the DH treatment (P = 0.014), with pigs from sows fed DL treatment not differing from either (P > 0.104). Pigs from CON and DL fed sows had a greater secondary to primary muscle fiber ratio compared to pigs from DH sows (P < 0.022) but did not differ from each other (P = 0.994). There were treatment × time interactions for all sow and pig serum metabolites (P < 0.001). Therefore, treatment means were compared within the time period. At all time periods, sow serum 25(OH)D₃ concentrations differed for all treatments with the magnitude of difference largest at weaning (P < 0.011), where serum 25(OH)D₃ concentration was always the greatest when sows were fed the DH diet. At birth, piglets from DH fed sows had greater serum 25(OH)D₃ concentrations than piglets from sows fed the DL treatment (P = 0.003), with piglets from sows fed CON treatment not differing from either (P > 0.061). At weaning, serum concentrations of 25(OH)D₃ in piglets from all sow treatments were different (P < 0.001), with the greatest concentration in piglets from DH sows, followed by CON, and followed by DL. There were no treatment × time interactions for any of the metabolites measured in milk and no treatment or time main effects for 24,25(OH)₂D₃ concentration (P > 0.068). Colostrum collected within 12 h of parturition contained less (P = 0.001) 25(OH)D₃ than milk collected on day 21 of lactation. Regardless of time, concentrations of 25(OH)D₃ in milk were different (P < 0.030), with the largest 25(OH)D₃ concentration from DH fed sows, followed by DL, and then CON. In conclusion, combining vitamin D₃ and 25(OH)D₃ in the maternal diet improves the vitamin D status of the dam and progeny and it increases primary muscle fiber number at birth.