Effects of a Gluco-Oligosaccharide on Growth Performance of Nursery Pigs.

A total of 3,456 pigs (initially 5.63 ± 0.41 kg) were used in a 42-d study to determine the effects of gluco-oligosaccharide (Midori USA, Inc., Cambridge, MA) on growth performance. In each of 3 rooms, pens of pigs (27 pigs/pen) were blocked (6, 5, and 5 blocks in room 1, 2, and 3, respectively) by initial pen weight and allotted randomly to 1 of 8 dietary treatments in a 2-phase feeding program (d 0 to 14 and 14 to 42). Dietary treatments were arranged in a 2×4 factorial: with or without antibiotic (0 or 55 ppm, Carbadox, Phibro Animal Health Corp., Teaneck, NJ) and 4 gluco-oligosaccharide concentrations (0, 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg). Gluco-oligosaccharide product used in rooms 1 and 2 originated from a different batch than that used in room 3. No 3-way or antibiotic × gluco-oligosaccharide interactions were observed for any overall growth responses, but tendencies were observed (P<0.10) for room × gluco-oligosaccharide interaction for final BW and ADG. In rooms 1 and 2, antibiotic treatment increased (P<0.05) ADG and ADFI in both phases and overall and G:F from d 14 to 42. Increasing gluco-oligosaccharide increased (linear, P<0.05) ADG from d 0 to 14, d 14 to 28, and overall, and increased (linear, P<0.01) G:F from d 0 to 14 and overall. In room 3, a smaller response was observed for antibiotic inclusion with only increased (P<0.05) G:F from d 14 to 28 and ADG and ADFI from d 28 to 42. Pigs fed increasing gluco-oligosaccharide tended (linear, P<0.10) to have decreased ADG and ADFI from d 14 to 28; however, overall growth performance was not affected by antibiotic or gluco-oligosaccharide treatments. In conclusion, feeding gluco-oligosaccharide may improve growth performance in nursery pigs, and this effect is independent of antibiotic treatment and more prominent during the early nursery phase. However, further research is required to confirm the consistency of the responses to the gluco-oligosaccharide used in this study.

		Antibiotic, ppm					Gluco-oligosaccharide, ppm
Item		0	55	SEM			0	200	400	600	SEM
Room 1 and 2 (overall)
ADG, g		419	439	3.6			418	430	430	437	4.7
G:F		0.683	0.687	0.0035			0.679	0.687	0.683	0.691	0.0040
Room 3 (overall)
ADG, g		400	408	5.4			410	399	410	399	7.1
G:F		0.667	0.672	0.0052			0.673	0.666	0.667	0.672	0.0059