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Liquid Feeding Fermented DDGS to Weanling Pigs: Improvement of Growth Performance with Added Enzymes and Microbial Inoculants
Controlled fermentation of co-products can improve energy availability and gut function through synergistic soluble fiber hydrolysis. This study assessed effects of extended DDGS fermentation on performance and digestive function of newly weaned piglets fed corn and soybean meal based liquid diets. Enzymes (67.2 IU β-glucanase and 51.4 IU Xylanase/g DDGS; AB Vista) and silage inoculant (360,000 CFU Pediocoocus pentosaceus 12455 and Propionibacterium jensenii 30081/g DDGS, Lallemand Inc) were added to dry DDGS at the time of liquid feed preparation and delivery (UNFER) or allowed to ferment with DDGS (1 to 7 d at 40°C; 16% DM; FER). Diets were composed of a common base supplement for each of three phases (P; d0-7, 7-20, 20-42), mixed with DDGS (7.5 (P1), 16.25 (P2) and 25 (P3) % of DM) and water (25% DM). Pigs were separated into two rooms according to initial body weight (BWi; heavy (HBW, 7.6±0.8 kg) or light (LBW, 5.8±0.6 kg)). The study was a randomized block design with results presented as lsmeans±SEM (FER vs. UNFER respectively). Owing to a BWi by diet interaction (P<0.05), data was analyzed separately for the two BWi groups (4 pens/BWi and dietary treatment, 14 pigs/pen). To obtain uniform final BW, LBW pigs were fed P3 diets until d48. On d42, pH and organic acid concentration were determined in ileal digesta pooled from 2 pigs/pen. Complete liquid FER diet (n=9) had higher content of lactic acid (42.6±17.4 vs. 17.6±1.4 mM) and acetic acid (55.3±37.1 vs. 3.9 ±0.7 mM) than the UNFER diet (n=3). Overall, there were no differences (P>0.10) in ADG (424 vs. 424±14 g/d for HBW and 404±15 vs. 386±12 g/d for LBW) and DMI (605 vs. 581±16 g/d for HBW and 540±19 vs. 509±16 g/d for LBW). For d42-48, LBW pigs fed FER had greater ADG (941±60 vs. 773±52 g/d, P<0.05), resulting in higher end BW (25.8±0.5 vs. 24.5±0.4 kg, P<0.05). In digesta, total organic acid concentration and pH did not differ between treatments (P>0.10). Digesta fermentation patterns (% of total organic acids), however, differed with FER increasing n-butyric acid (15.0 vs. 1.0±3.8%, P=0.04) and tending to lower lactic acid (30.0 vs. 47.1±6.9%, P=0.06) within HBW, while within LBW, FER tended to increase acetic acid (53.7±7.4 vs. 31.1±6.4%, P=0.07). FER benefited LBW pigs late in the nursery period, altering the gut metabolome, possibly due to soluble fiber hydrolysis, and improved gut development in pigs potentially compromised by low weaning BW.
Keywords: DDGS, liquid feeding, nursery pigs