Effects of water and diet acidification with and without antibiotics on weanling pig growth and microbial shedding

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2007-07, Vol.85 (7), p.1799-1808
• Main Authors: Walsh, M.C, Sholly, D.M, Hinson, R.B, Saddoris, K.L, Sutton, A.L, Radcliffe, J.S, Odgaard, R, Murphy, J, Richert, B.T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acidification; Animal Feed; animal growth; Animal productions; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; antibiotics; bacterial colonization; Biological and medical sciences; carbadox; Carbadox - administration & dosage; Carbadox - pharmacology; chlortetracycline; Colony Count, Microbial - veterinary; Cross-Over Studies; diet; disease control; disease resistance; Drinking; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Escherichia coli Infections - veterinary; Escherichia infections; Feces - microbiology; feed additives; feed processing; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; inorganic acids; liveweight gain; Male; organic acids and salts; piglet feeding; piglets; Swine - genetics; Swine - growth & development; Swine - microbiology; Swine Diseases - microbiology; Terrestrial animal productions; tiamulin; Time Factors; Vertebrates; water; Water - chemistry; weanlings; Weight Gain
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.2527/jas.2006-049

Two 5-wk experiments were conducted to determine the effects of water and diet acidification with and without antibiotics on weanling pig growth performance and microbial shedding. In Exp. 1, 204 pigs (19.2 d of age) were used in a 3 x 2 factorial, with 3 dietary treatments fed with or without water acidification (2.58 mL/L of a propionic acid blend; KEM SAN, Kemin Americas, Des Moines, IA). Dietary treatments were: 1) control, 2) control + 55 ppm of carbadox (CB), and 3) dietary acid [DA; control + 0.4% organic acid-based blend (fumaric, lactate, citric, propionic, and benzoic acids; Kemin Americas)] on d 0 to 7 followed by 0.2% inorganic acid-based blend (phosphoric, fumaric, lactic, and citric acids; Kemin Americas) on d 7 to 34. In Exp. 2, 210 pigs (average 18.3 d of age) were fed 1 of 3 dietary treatments: 1) control, 2) control + 55 ppm of CB, and 3) control + 38.6 ppm of tiamulin + 441 ppm of chlortetracycline on d 0 to 7 followed by 110 ppm of chlortetracycline on d 7 to 35 (TC) with or without dietary acidification (same as Exp. 1) in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. For both experiments, the pigs were allotted based on genetics, sex, and initial BW [5.5 kg (Exp. 1) or 5.6 kg (Exp. 2)]. Pigs were housed at 6 or 7 (Exp. 1) and 7 (Exp. 2) pigs/pen. Treatments were fed in 3 phases: d 0 to 7, 7 to 21, and 21 to 35 (34 d, Exp. 1). Fecal grab samples were collected from 3 pigs/pen on d 6, 20, and 33 for measurement of pH and Escherichia coli. During phase 3 and overall in Exp. 1, pigs fed CB had greater (P < 0.001) ADG (overall ADG, 389 vs. 348, and 348 g/d, respectively), ADFI (P < 0.007, 608 vs. 559, and 554 g/d, respectively), and d 34 BW (P < 0.001, 18.8 vs. 17.3, and 17.3 kg, respectively) than pigs fed NC and DA. Phase 3 ADG was improved (P < 0.01) by water acidification across all diets. In Exp. 2, pigs fed CB and TC had greater ADG (P < 0.004; 315 and 303 vs. 270 g/d, respectively), ADFI (P < 0.01), and d 35 BW (P < 0.002; 16.7 and 16.2 vs. 15.1 kg, respectively) than pigs fed NC. There was a tendency (P < 0.08) for an improvement in ADG when DA was added to the NC or TC, but decreased ADG when DA was added to CB.