The effects of copper source (copper sulfate or methionine hydroxy analogue chelate; Mintrex®) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and barn cleaning time in finishing pigs

Abstract Text:

Copper source and feeding duration on growth performance, carcass characteristics and pen wash time were determined using 1,196 pigs (initially 25.7 kg BW) in a 111-d study. Pigs were allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments, based on initial pen weight in a randomized incomplete block design with 26 pigs/pen and 7 to 8 pens/treatment. A negative control diet was supplemented with 17 ppm Cu from the basal trace mineral.  Remaining diets were formulated by supplementing the negative control with 50 ppm Cu from CuSO₄ or Mintrex, or 125 ppm Cu from CuSO₄. The 50 ppm Cu as CuSO4 diet was fed for 111 days.  The 50 ppm Mintrex and 125 ppm CuSO4 diets were fed for either 42, or 111 days. Diets were formulated 0.05% below the estimated standardized ileal digestible Lys requirement. Average daily gain was not affected (P>0.12). Pigs fed either 50 or 125 ppm of Cu from CuSO₄ from d 0-111 had greater ADFI (P<0.02) than pigs fed the control or diet with 50 ppm of added Cu from Mintrex from d 0-42. Feed efficiency was poorer (P<0.04) for pigs fed either 50 or 125 ppm of added Cu from CuSO₄ fed throughout compared with those fed 50 ppm of Cu from Mintrex from d 0-42. There were no differences in final BW, HCW, or pen wash time. In summary, pigs fed 50 ppm of Cu from Mintrex for the first 42-d of the finishing period had improved G:F compared with pigs fed 50 or 125 ppm of Cu from CuSO₄ for the complete finishing period; however, G:F for those pigs was not improved when compared to those not fed added Cu.

Copper   source, level and duration for finishing pigs
Cu source	---	CuSO4	Mintrex Cu	CuSO4	Mintrex Cu	CuSO4
Added Cu, ppm ppm	---	50	50	125	50	125
Duration, d	0-111	0-111	0-42	0-42	0-111	0 -111	SE	Treatment, P <
d 111 BW, kg	122.7	124.6	124.3	122.5	125.3	125.0	1.33	0.16
ADG, kg	0.890	0.907	0.901	0.883	0.909	0.901	0.008	0.12
ADFI, kg	2.25c	2.33a	2.26bc	2.25c	2.30abc	2.31ab	0.027	0.02
G:F	0.397ab	0.389c	0.399a	0.393abcc	0.396abc	0.390bc	0.003	0.04
HCW, kg	89.0	89.3	88.9	89.4	89.7	90.2	0.92	0.71
Wash time, s	345	332	323	365	324	352	15.2	0.26

¹ Means within row with different superscripts differ, P<0.05.

Keywords: finishing pig, copper, wash time