Effect of Different Milk By-Product Types and Levels on Growth Performance, Blood Profiles, Immune Response, and Diarrhea Incidence in Weaning Pigs

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the different milk by-product types and supplementation levels in weaning pig diet on growth performance, blood profiles, immune response, incidence of diarrhea, and economic analysis on weaning pigs. A total of 200 weaning pigs ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc), average 6.93 ± 1.173kg body weight (BW), were allotted to one of four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in 5 replicates with 10 pigs per pen by BW and sex in a randomized complete block design. Pigs were fed experimental diet with different content and ratio of milk by-product (factor 1 : milk by-product content 18-9%, 12-6% ; factor 2 : whey powder and lactose ratio 2:1, 1:2) for 6 weeks (phaseⅠ: 0-3 week, phaseⅡ: 4-6 week). There was significant difference in ADG at phase 2 where the ratio of whey powder was high (P<0.01, P<0.03). However, there was no significant difference in BW, ADFI, and G:F ratio in whole experimental period. In blood profiles, no difference in serum BUN and IGF-1 was observed among treatments. Serum IgG and IgA had no significant difference among treatments. Also, the incidence of diarrhea had no significant difference by dietary treatments. As a result of economic analysis, there was no significant difference among treatments. Considering feed cost per weight gain in piglet period, treatments which contained high ratio of lactose were lower than treatments where high ratio of whey powder was included. Consequently, different content and ratio of milk by-products brought no significant difference on growth performance, blood profiles, immune response, incidence of diarrhea, and economic analysis