Spray-dried plasma on weaning piglets' feed with in diets with high or low mycotoxins levels

Mycotoxins are a problem in swine production, especially after weaning, and ingredients such as spray-dried blood (PSD) may be an alternative to minimize the problem. The objective of this work was to assess the effects of PSD use for postweaning piglets feds diets with low or high mycotoxin levels. Fifty-six weaned, castrated male piglets (24 ± 2 d old and 7.15 ± 0.61 kg) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design arrangement of diets without PSD and with 6% PSD and diets with low (0.95 μg/kg aflatoxins + 0.45 mg/kg fumonisins) or high mycotoxin levels (300 μg/kg aflatoxins + 8.0 mg/kg fumonisins), which resulted in 4 treatments, and there were 7 replicates and 2 piglets per experimental unit. The experimental period consisted of 15 d subdivided into three 5-d periods, in which feed intake, weight gain, feed efficiency, days with diarrhea, and economic viability were evaluated. There was no interaction (P > 0.05) between mycotoxins and PSD for the studied variables. Weight gain and feed efficiency were better in the diets with PSD in the first 2 periods and in the total experimental period. Feed intake was higher in diets with PSD in all periods. Diarrhea incidence was higher (P < 0.05) in the first 2 periods and the total experimental period for treatments without PSD. The high mycotoxin level reduced the gain in the third period (P < 0.05). Despite the technical feasibility of the PSD, there was economic viability just in the 2 first periods. Spray-dried plasma improved gain and feed intake and reduced the diarrhea incidence and should be used in low or high mycotoxin levels.