This is a draft schedule. Presentation dates, times and locations may be subject to change.
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Effect of Cu Provided As Bioplex® Cu or TBCC for Weaned Pigs: Growth Performance, Tissue Mineral Retention, and Fecal Mineral Excretion
Effect of Cu Provided As Bioplex® Cu or TBCC for Weaned Pigs: Growth Performance, Tissue Mineral Retention, and Fecal Mineral Excretion
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Exhibit Hall (Baltimore Convention Center)
Pharmaceutical Cu from CuSO4 is routinely added in diets of weaned pigs as a growth promoter. Excess Cu is excreted in feces then accumulates in soil and water, and has been shown to reduce crop yield and pose a threat to environmental and human health. Bioplex® Cu (Alltech Inc.), a mineral proteinate chelated to soy protein hydrolysates, has been shown to be absorbed and utilized better than inorganic salts. However, the optimal supplementation for weaned pigs fed practical corn-soy diet has not been clearly determined. Eight hundred and forty crossbred piglets (Duroc x Landrace x Yorkshire, BW 7.4±0.6 kg), weaned at 28±3 d were used in this experiment. Bioplex® Cu or tribasic copper chloride (TBCC) were added to a basal corn-soybean diet. Copper was added at 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg from either Bioplex® or TBCC, and 200 mg/kg from TBCC (maximum allowed level in China). Growth performance, tissue retention, and fecal mineral excretion were measured for 38 days. Copper supplementation, regardless of source, quadratically increased ADG and quadratically decreased F:G (P<0.05). Bioplex® Cu was more effective than TBCC in improving the ADG when supplemented at 40 or 80 mg/kg. No differences were observed in hepatic Cu retention for 80 mg/kg Bioplex® Cu compared to 160 mg/kg Cu as TBCC. Hepatic Zn content was affected by increasing dietary Cu supplementation especially as TBCC, indicating that Cu in organic forms may decrease the interactions between Cu and Zn. Copper supplementation, regardless of the source, quadratically increased fecal Cu excretion (P<0.05). Bioplex® Cu decreased fecal Cu excretion compared to TBCC when supplemented equally. Bioplex® Cu was more effective than TBCC in improving piglet growth performance. To maximize performance, the optimal level of Bioplex® Cu is 78 mg/kg while TBCC is 140 mg/kg for weaned pigs fed practical corn-soy diet. Fecal Cu excretion can be reduced about 50% by using 80 mg/kg Bioplex® Cu to substitute inorganic Cu supplementation (160 mg/kg) in commercial production without compromising health and growth performance.