This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with a probiotic (
Enterococcus faecium DSM7134) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, fecal microbiota, and fecal score in weaning pigs. A total of 140 crossed [(Landrace ×Yorkshire) ×Duroc] weanling pigs with an initial body weight (BW) of 7.45 ± 0.86 kg were used in a 42-d trial. Pigs were randomly allotted to 4 experimental diets according to initial BW and gender (7 replicates each with 2 gilts and 3 barrows). Dietary treatments were: (1) CON, basal diet, (2) T1, CON + 0.05%
E. faecium, (3) T2, CON + 0.10%
E. faecium, (4) T3, CON + 0.20%
E. faecium. Pigs were weighed on d 1, 21, and 42 whereas feed consumption was recorded to calculate ADG, ADFI, and G:F. Fresh faecal samples were obtained on d 42 to determine the ATTD of DM, N and GE using Cr
2O
3 as an indigestible marker. One gram of fecal sample was diluted with 9 mL of 1% peptone broth and then homogenized. Viable counts of bacteria were conducted by plating serial 10-fold dilutions onto agar plates. Fecal scores: 1 hard, dry pellet; 2 firm, formed stool; 3 soft, moist stool that retains shape; 4 soft, unformed stool that assumes shape of container; 5 watery liquid that can be poured. Orthogonal comparisons were conducted using polynomial regression to measure linear and quadratic effects of increasing dietary supplementation of
E. faecium with
P < 0.05 indicating a significance.
From d 22 to 42, and overall, there were linear increase (P=0.0099 and P=0.0203, respectively) in ADG and G:F with E. faecium supplementation, only linear increase (P=0.0395) in ADG was observed from d 1 to 21. On d 42, there were linear increase (P=0.0315, P=0.0108, and P=0.0046, respectively) in ATTD of N and GE, and fecal Lactobacilli counts. E. faecium supplementation linear reduced (P=0.0056, P=0.0116, and P=0.0002, respectively) fecal E. coli counts and fecal scores in week 1 and 2. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with E. faecium improved growth performance, ATTD of N and GE, shifted microbiota by increasing fecal Lactobacilli and decreased E. coli counts, and decreased fecal score during the two week post-weaning in weanling pigs.
