Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-9pm4c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T09:08:38.624Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of dietary protein supply on the performance and risk of post-weaning enteric disorders in newly weaned pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

I. J. Wellock ,
P. D. Fortomaris ,
J. G. M. Houdijk  and
I. Kyriazakis
I. J. Wellock*
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition and Health Department, SAC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK
P. D. Fortomaris
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition and Health Department, SAC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
J. G. M. Houdijk
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition and Health Department, SAC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK
I. Kyriazakis
Affiliation:
Animal Nutrition and Health Department, SAC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Trikalon 224, 43100, Karditsa, Greece
*
†E-mail: Ian.Wellock@sac.ac.uk
Get access

Abstract

The effect of dietary protein supply, as manipulated by both crude protein content and/or substitution of existing ingredients, mainly soya (SOYA), with the more digestible dried skimmed milk powder (DSMP), and the consequences of removing in-food antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) on the performance and risk of post-weaning enteric disorders (PWED) in newly weaned pigs was investigated. Pigs weaned at 28·7±3·45 days of age (no. =49) were individually housed in an environmentally controlled room and assigned to one of seven dietary treatments; a 3×2 factorial combination of dietary protein content (130, 180 and 230 g crude protein (CP) per kg) and main protein source (DSMP and SOYA), plus an additional control containing 230 g CP per kg, DSMP and in-food AGPs (ZnO, CuSO4 and avilamycin). Individual food intake, faecal score (FS), cleanliness score (CS) and health score (HS) were taken daily, and live weight and faecal samples were taken on days 0, 4, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 14. All animals were slaughtered on day 14 to examine variables describing aspects of gastro-intestinal health. Increasing CP content and the removal of AGPs both led to a significant increase in faecal fluidity and contamination although there was no effect on HS. There was no effect of DSMP inclusion on FS, CS or HS. Increasing CP content led to an increase ( P<0·05) in the number of coliforms in faecal and proximal colon (PC) samples taken at slaughter and a decrease ( P<0·01) in the lactobacilli to coliform ratio (L:C) in the PC. Increasing CP content had no effect on average daily food intake (ADFI) but led to improvements in average daily gain (ADG) ( P<0·001) and food conversion ratio (FCR) ( P<0·001) over the whole trial period. The inclusion of DSMP had no effect on performance during the 1st week, but animals on the DSMP diets had improved ADG ( P<0·05) and FCR ( P<0·01) compared with those on the SOYA diets in the 2nd week. The inclusion of AGPs increased ADFI ( P<0·05) and ADG ( P<0·05) but had no effect on FCR over the whole trial period. The results indicate that in the absence of AGPs both growth performance and the risk of PWED increased as protein supply was increased. The increased risk of PWED was associated with an increased fluidity of faeces, a reduction in the L:C ratio and an increase in intestinal pH. Consequently, it is important to balance the trade-off between maximizing performance and minimising the risk of PWED through manipulating protein supply, particularly in an environment where AGPs are no longer permitted.

Keywords

anti-infective agentsgastro-intestinal diseasespigsprotein intakeweaning
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 82 , Issue 3 , June 2006 , pp. 327 - 335
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Association of Official Analytical Chemists 1988. Official methods of analysis, 14th edition. AOAC Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Barton, M.D. 2000. Antibiotic use in animal feed and its impact on human health. Nutrition Research Reviews 13: 279–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broom, L.J., Miller, H. M., Kerr, K.G. and Toplis, P. 2003. Removal of both zinc oxide and avilamycin from the post-weaning diet: consequences for performance through to slaughter. Animal Science 77: 79–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Canibe, N. and Jensen, B.B. 2003. Fermented and nonfermented liquid feed to growing pigs: Effects on aspects of gastrointestinal ecology and growth performance. Journal of Animal Science 81: 2019–2031.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferguson, N.S. and Gous, R.M. 1997. The influence of heat production on voluntary food intake in growing pigs given protein deficient diets. Animal Science 64: 365–378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Genstat 5 Committee. 2001. Release 4·2, service pack 2, for Windows, Lawes Agricultural Trust, Rothamsted, Harpenden.Google Scholar
Hahn, J.D. and Baker, D.H. 1993. Growth and plasma zinc responses of young pigs fed pharmacological levels of zinc. Journal of Animal Science 71: 3020–3024.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hampson, D.J. 1994. Postweaning Escherichia coli diarrhoea in pigs. In Escherichia coli in domestic animals and humans (ed. Gyles, C. L.), pp. 171–191. CAB International, Wallingford.Google Scholar
Hill, G.M., Mahan, D.C., Carter, S.D., Cromwell, G.L., Ewan, R.C., Harold, R.L., Lewis, A.J., Miller, P.S., Shurson, G.C. and Veum, T.L. 2001. Effect of pharmacological concentrations of zinc oxide with or without the inclusion of antibacterial agent on nursery pig performance. Journal of Animal Science 79: 934–941.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hillman, K., Murdoch, T.A., Spencer, R.J. and Stewart, C.S. 1994. Inhibition of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli by the microflora of the porcine ileum, in an in vitro semicontinuous culture system. Journal of Applied Microbiology 76: 294–300.Google Scholar
Jones, P.H., Roe, J.M. andMiller, B. G. 2001. Effects of stressors on immune parameters an on faecal shedding of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in piglets following experimental inoculation. Research in Veterinary Science 70: 9–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kerr, B.J., McKeith, F.K. andEater, R.A. 1995. Effect on performance and carcass characteristics of nursery to finisher pigs fed reduced crude protein, amino acid-supplemented diets. Journal of Animal Science 73: 433–440.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kyriazakis, I., Emmans, G.C. and Whittemore, C.T. 1990. Diet selection in pigs: Choices made by growing pigs given foods of different protein concentrations. Animal Production 51: 189–199.Google Scholar
Kyriazakis, I., Emmans, G.C. and Whittemore, C. T. (1991) The ability of pigs to control intake when fed in three different ways. Physiology and Behaviour 50: 1197–1203.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, D.F., Nelssen, J.L., Reddy, P.G., Blecha, F., Klemm, R. D. and Goodband, R. D. 1991. Interrelationship between hypersensitivity to soybean proteins and growth-performance in early weaned pigs. Journal of Animal Science 69: 4062–4069.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Littell, R.C., Henry, P.R. and Ammerman, C. B. 1998. Statistical analysis of repeated measures data using SAS procedures. Journal of Animal Science 76: 1216–1231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, D.E., Pethick, D. W., Mullan, B.P. and Hampson, D. J. 2001a. Increasing viscosity of the intestinal contents alters small intestinal structure and intestinal growth, and stimulates proliferation of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in newly-weaned pigs. British Journal of Nutrition 86: 487–498.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McDonald, D.E., Pethick, D. W., Mullan, B. P., Pluske, J. R. and Hampson, D. J. 2001b. Soluble non-starch polysaccharides from pearl barley exacerbate experimental post-weaning colibacillosis immediately after weaning. Research in Veterinary Science 67: 245–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, D.E., Pethick, D.W., Pluske, J.R. and Hampson, D.J. 1999b. Adverse effects of soluble non-starch polysaccharide (guar gum) on piglet growth and experimental colibacillosis immediately after weaning. Research in Veterinary Science 67: 245–250.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madec, F., Bridoux, N., Bounaix, S., Cariolet, R., Duval-Iflah, Y., Hampson, D. J. and Jestin, A. 2000. Experimental models of porcine post-weaning colibacillosis and their relationship to post-weaning diarrhoea and digestive disorders as encountered in the field. Veterinary Microbiology 71: 295–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manzanilla, E.G., Perez, J.F., Martin, M., Kamel, C., Baucells, F. and Gasa, J. 2004. Effect of plant extracts and formic acid on the intestinal equilibrium of early-weaned pigs. Journal of Animal Science 82: 3210–3218.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, B.G., Newby, T.J., Stokes, C.R. and Bourne, F.J. 1984. Influence of diet on postweaning malabsorption and diarrhoea in the pig. Research in Veterinary Science 36: 187–193.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. 1982. The feeding stuffs (sampling and analysis) regulations (amendment 1985). Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London>..>Google Scholar
Montagne, L., Cavaney, F.S., Hampson, D.J., Lalles, J.P. and Pluske, J. R. 2004. Effect of diet composition on postweaning colibacillosis in piglets. Journal of Animal Science 82: 2364–2374.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perdigon, G., Fuller, R. and Raya, R. 2001. Lactic acid bacteria and their effect on the immune system. Current Issues of Intestinal Microbiology 2: 27–42.Google ScholarPubMed
Pluske, J.R., Black, B., Pethick, D. W., Mullan, B.P. and Hampson, D. J. 2003. Effects of different sources and levels of dietary fibre in diets on performance, digesta characteristics and antibiotic treatment of pigs after weaning. Animal Feed Science and Technology 107:129–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pluske, J.R., Pethick, D.W., Hopwood, D.E. and Hampson, D.J. 2002. Nutritional influences on some major enteric bacterial diseases of pigs. Nutrition Research Reviews 15: 333–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prohászka, L. and Baron, F. 1980. The predisposing role of high dietary protein supplies in enteropathogenic E.coli infections of weaned pigs. Zentralblatt fur Veterinarmedizin 27: 222–232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reid, C.A. and Hillman, K. 1999. The effects of retrogradation and amylose/amylopectin ratio of starches on carbohydrate fermentation and microbial populations in the porcine colon. Animal Science 68: 503–510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shimizu, M. and Terashima, T. 1982. Appearence of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in piglets with diarrhoea in connection with feed changes. Microbiology and Immunology 26: 467–477.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Dijk, A.J., Enthoven, P.M. M., Van den Hoven, S.G.C., Van Laarhoven, M.M.M.H., Niewold, T. A., Nabuurs, M.J.A. and Beyen, A.C. 2002. The effect of dietary spray-dried porcine plasma on clinical response in weaned piglets challenged with a pathogenic Escherichia coli. Veterinary Microbiology 84:207–218.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Soest, P.J., Robertson, J. B. and Lewis, B.A. 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74: 3583–3597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vente-Spreeuwenberg, M.A.M., Verdonk, J.M.A.J., Bakker, G.C.M., Beyen, A.C. and Verstegen, M.W.A. 2003. Effect of dietary protein source on feed intake and small intestinal morphology in newly weaned pigs. Livestock Production Science 86: 169–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, R.H. and Leibholz, J. 1981. Digestion in the pig between 7 and 35 d of age, 1. The performance of pigs given milk and soya-bean proteins. British Journal of Nutrition 45: 301–319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed