Comparison of Fermented Soybean Meal Processing Methods on Nursery Pig Growth Performance

Abstract Text:

A total of 292 nursery pigs (PIC 327 × 1050; 6.0 ± 1.1 kg BW and 21 d of age) were used in a 31-d experiment comparing processing methods of fermented soybean meal (FSBM; Nutraferma, North Sioux City, SD) on growth performance. There were 11 replicate pens/treatment and 6 or 7 pigs/pen. At weaning, pigs were allotted to pens by initial weight to 1 of 4 treatments in a completely randomized design. A 3-phase diet series was used with treatment diets fed during phase 1 (d 0 to 7) and phase 2 (d 7 to 21), with a common diet fed from d 21 to 31. Diets were: 1) negative control (NC; no specialty protein sources), 2) positive control (PC; 4% dried porcine solubles + 1% standard FSBM), 3) FSBM processing method 1 (FSBM1; 5%), and 4) FSBM processing method 2 (FSBM2; 5%). The alternative FSBM processing methods incorporated a proprietary additive post-fermentation at increasing levels (FSBM2>FSBM1) to further break down anti-nutritional factors. Nutrient analyses of specialty protein sources generally matched for the PC, but in FSBM1 and FSBM2 the CP and AA  levels were lower than formulated, with FSBM1 generally 10% lower than FSBM2. From d 0 to 21, pigs fed PC and FSBM2 diets had increased ADG (P<0.05) while pigs fed PC, FSBM1 and FSBM2 diets had improved G:F (P<0.05) compared to NC pigs. Also, pigs fed FSBM1 tended (P<0.06) to have decreased ADG and G:F vs. pigs fed the PC diet. During d 21 to 31, no differences were observed. Overall (d 0 to 31), ADG was higher (P<0.01) for PC pigs and tended to be higher (P<0.07) for pigs fed diets containing FSBM2 versus the NC, with pigs fed FSBM1 intermediate. Overall, pigs fed FSBM2 had greater performance than those fed the NC and similar performance to pigs fed the PC, whereas those fed FSBM1 did not. The lower CP and AA content in FSBM1 may have contributed to its diminished growth response.

	NC	PC	FBSM1	FBSM2	SEM	P<
D 0 to 21
ADG, g	225a	259by	237abx	249b	8.31	0.03
ADFI, g	342	353	339	342	9.45	0.75
G:F	0.666a	0.737by	0.703bx	0.728b	0.018	<0.01
D 0 to 31
ADG, g	307ax	339b	322ab	328aby	8.02	0.05
ADFI, g	476	507	493	488	11.75	0.32
G:F	0.646	0.668	0.654	0.673	0.008	0.10
a,b P<0.05, x,y P<0.10

Keywords: fermented soybean meal, nursery pig, protein sources