The study was conducted on Fagiolo Farm, Italy, and consisted of two feed treatments:
1) Control – basal diet
2) Actisaf Sc 47 treatment
The piglets were weaned at 28 days of age and then underwent a prophylactic treatment of lincospectin for 5 days, before being allocated at random into the treatment groups at 33 days of age.
The experimental diets were fed from 33 days of age with a pre-starter diet from 33 to 50 days and a starter diet from 50 to 70 days.
There was no difference between the control and treated feeds except for the Actisaf supplementation.
Piglets were weighed per pen on days 33, 50 and 70. Daily weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were calcuated for each period and for the overall experiment. All pathological events, mortalities and veterinary treatments were recorded.
Results
|
|
Control |
Actisaf |
ANOVA (P) |
|
Number of piglets |
52 |
51 |
|
|
Age at start (days) |
33 |
33 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pre-starting period (33 to 50 days) |
|
|
|
|
Initial live weight (kg) |
8.5 |
8.5 |
|
|
Daily weight gain (g/d) |
173.1 |
310.4 |
P<0.01 |
|
Daily feed intake (kg/day) |
534.2 |
619.7 |
P<0.01 |
|
Feed Conversion Ratio |
3.23 |
2.06 |
P<0.01 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Starting period (50 to 70 days) |
|
|
|
|
Live weight at 50 days of age (kg) |
11.4 |
13.8 |
P<0.01 |
|
Daily weight gain (g/d) |
343.3 |
523.5 |
P<0.01 |
|
Daily feed intake (kg/day) |
857.9 |
1054.7 |
P<0.01 |
|
Feed Conversion Ratio |
2.54 |
2.02 |
P<0.01 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overall period (33 to 70 days) |
|
|
|
|
Live weight at 70 days of age (kg) |
18.3 |
24.2 |
P<0.01 |
|
Daily weight gain (g/d) |
265.1 |
425.6 |
P<0.01 |
|
Daily feed intake (kg/day) |
702.4 |
854.7 |
P<0.01 |
|
Feed Conversion Ratio |
2.68 |
2.01 |
P<0.01 |
Conclusions
The addition of Actisaf in the feed of post-weaning piglets had a positive effect on the growth performance of piglets. It improved significantly (P<0.01) live weights, daily weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio.