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Effect of dietary inclusion of a beta-mannanase enzyme on growth performance of nursery pigs
The study evaluated the effect of dietary inclusion of a beta-mannanase enzyme (Hemicell-HT®, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN) on growth performance of nursery pigs. The study was carried out over a 42-d period from 6.4 ± 0.22 to 25.4 ± 1.66 kg BW as a RCBD with 2 enzyme inclusion levels (0 and 48 kU/kg of complete feed). A total of 210 barrows and gilts from 2 farrowing groups were housed in single-gender pens of 5. Replicates consisted of 2 single-gender pens with 21 replicates per inclusion level. Diets were formulated to meet or exceed NRC (2012) recommendations for nutrient requirements and included 2.5% soybean hulls and 0.5% guar gum meal. Three dietary phases were fed over the 42-d period: Phase 1 = Start to d 14, Phase 2 = d 14 to d 28, and Phase 3 = d 28 to the end of the study. Pigs were weighed at the start and end of the study and at the change of dietary phase; all feed additions to the feeders were recorded. The statistical model accounted for the effect of enzyme level, farrowing group, and replicate. For the overall 42 day study period, including the enzyme increased (P ≤ 0.05) growth rate (428 vs. 473 g/d for 0 and 48 kU/kg, respectively; SEM = 7.1), feed intake (681 vs. 720 g/d, respectively; SEM = 10.6), and G:F (0.630 vs. 0.658, respectively; SEM = 0.0082) compared to the control (0 kU/kg). Feeding the enzyme had no effect (P > 0.05) on growth performance in the first 14 d, but increased (P ≤ 0.05) ADG (558 vs. 589 g/d, respectively; SEM = 11.0; and 578 vs. 672 g/d, respectively; SEM = 10.9) and ADFI (700 vs. 739 g/d, respectively; SEM = 13.9; and 994 vs. 1,077 g/d, respectively; SEM = 21.2) from d 14 to 28 and 28 to 42, respectively, and increased (P ≤ 0.05) G:F (0.582 and 0.626, respectively; SEM = 0.0083) from d 28 to 42 compared to the control (0 kU/kg). The results of this study suggest that including Hemicell-HT®in corn-soybean meal diets with relatively high concentrations of beta-mannans increased the growth performance of nursery pigs.
Keywords:
beta-mannanase, Hemicell-HT®, pigs