The Effect of Feeding Ambitine™ FA on Late Finishing Pig Performance.

Four hundred and eighty-four late finishing pigs (initial BW = 106.16 kg) were used to evaluate the effect of feeding Ambitine™ Feed Additive (Ambitine™ FA) in corn-soybean meal-dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) diet on late finisher pig performance. Ambitine™ FA is a blend of plant extracts and acidifiers. Pigs were allotted in a randomized complete block design into mixed gender pens, with 11 replicates per treatment, 22 pigs per pen, and fed 1 of 2 dietary treatments. Dietary treatments were Control or Ambitine™ FA (0.10%) fed the last 35 days of finishing and consisted of corn-soybean meal-20% DDGS with 6.75g of Paylean® formulated to 0.95% TID lysine. Body weights were taken at day 0, 11, 20, and 35 with corresponding ADG, ADFI, and GF calculated for each period, top cuts were marketed at day 11 and 20, with the remaining pigs marketed at day 35. Data were analyzed using the Mixed procedure in SAS with pen as the experimental unit and the model accounted for the effects of treatment, block, and replicate. Period 1 (d 0-11), ADG was increased (P=0.01) with Ambitine™ FA treatment (1.33 vs 1.23, kg/d). Period 1, ADFI was not significantly different between treatments. Period 1, G:F was increased (P=0.02) with Ambitine™ FA treatment (0.462 vs 0.437). Period 2 (d 11-20), BW were increased (P=0.03) with Ambitine™ FA treatment (126.06 vs 125.12, kg). In period 2, Ambitine™ FA increased (P=0.02) ADG (1.16 vs 1.01, kg) together with an increase (P=0.04) in G:F (0.403 vs 0.383), however ADFI was not significantly different between treatments. Period 3 (d 20-35), growth performance was not significantly different between treatments. Ambitine™ FA increased (P=0.01) overall d 0 to 35 ADG (1.22 vs 1.14, kg/d). Ambitine™ FA increased (P=0.002) overall G:F ratio (0.409 vs 0.388). Plant Live weight tended (P=0.07) to be increased for the Ambitine™ FA treatment (133.34 vs 131.62, kg). There was a trend (P<0.06) to increase hot carcass weight (99.41 vs 97.91, kg) with Ambitine™ FA. The results of this study suggest that feeding Ambitine™ FA to late finishing pigs improves growth rate, feed efficiency, and carcass weight.