Effect of Dietary Chromium Propionate and Yucca Schidigera on Finishing Pig Growth Performance

A total of 2,430 pigs [PIC (Hendersonville, TN) 359×1050; initial BW=29.3 kg] were used to evaluate the effects of dietary chromium propionate (Cr; Kemin Industries, Des Moines, IA) and a yucca schidigera-based extract (DPI Global, Porterville, CA) on growth performance of finishing pigs housed in commercial conditions. Pigs were placed in balanced, mixed-gender pens (27 pigs/pen), blocked by average pen BW, and randomly assigned to treatment. Diets were corn-soybean meal-based and were formulated in 5 dietary phases to meet or exceed NRC (2012) requirement estimates. Dietary treatments were fed for the full duration of the study and were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial with 14 pens per treatment. Main effects included added chromium (0 or 200 µg/kg from chromium propionate) and yucca schidigera feed grade concentrate (0, 62.5, or 125 mg/kg). For the overall study, a marginally significant (linear; P≤0.072) Cr × yucca schidigera interaction was observed for ADG and ADFI. Pigs fed yucca schidigera without added Cr had similar ADG and ADFI; however, pigs fed added Cr had increased ADG and ADFI as yucca schidigera increased from 62.5 to 125 mg/kg. There was insufficient evidence that added Cr had an effect on G:F (P>0.05). Increasing yucca schidigera resulted in a marginally significant reduction (quadratic; P=0.053) in G:F. The main effect of added yucca schidigera on final BW and HCW (quadratic; P=0.012) resulted in pens of pigs fed 62.5 mg/kg having the lowest final BW and HCW. Sufficient evidence was lacking (P≥0.278) to conclude added Cr influenced carcass characteristics including HCW, loin depth, backfat, percentage lean, and percentage yield. Added yucca schidigera did not demonstrate sufficient evidence of an influence on loin depth, backfat, percentage lean, or percentage yield (P≥0.152). In summary, adding Cr propionate along with yucca schidigera led to modest changes in performance, with the greatest benefit observed with 200 µg/kg Cr and 125 mg/kg yucca schidigera.

Interactive effects of Cr and yucca schidigera supplementation on finishing pig growth and carcass performance, 29 to 124 kg BW.
Added Cr, µg/kg	0	0	0	200	200	200
Yucca schidigera, mg/kg	0	62.5	125	0	62.5	125	SEM
ADG, kg1	0.89	0.88	0.88	0.89	0.88	0.90	0.013
ADFI, kg2	2.46	2.44	2.45	2.43	2.45	2.48	0.019
G:F3	0.36	0.36	0.36	0.37	0.36	0.36	0.006
1 Cr × yucca schidigera; linear, P=0.072 2 Cr × yucca schidigera; linear, P=0.071 3 Yucca schidigera; quadratic, P=0.053