Influence of chromium propionate dose and feeding regimen on growth performance and carcass composition of pigs housed in a commercial environment

• Published in: Translational animal science 2019-01, Vol.3 (1), p.384-392
• Main Authors: Gebhardt, Jordan T, Woodworth, Jason C, Tokach, Mike D, DeRouchey, Joel M, Goodband, Robert D, Loughmiller, Joe A, de Souza, Ana L.P, Dritz, Steve S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Growth; Soybean; Swine
• ISSN: 2573-2102; 2573-2102
• DOI: 10.1093/tas/txy104

Although chromium (Cr) feeding study results have been variable, our hypothesis was feeding a regimen that changed dosage over time would result in a larger positive response in growth performance and carcass characteristics. In Exp. 1, a total of 1,206 pigs (PIC 337 * 1050, initial BW 28.7 kg) were used with 27 pigs per pen and 9 pens per treatment. Diets were corn-soybean meal-dried distillers grains with solubles based and were fed in a five-phase feeding program. Treatments were arranged as a 2 * 2 + 1 factorial with a control diet containing no added Cr propionate (Kemin Industries Inc., Des Moines, IA), or diets with either 100 or 200 [micro]g/kg added Cr during the grower (dietary phases 1 and 2) and/or finisher (dietary phases 3, 4, and 5) periods. During the grower period, ADG and G:F were similar among pigs fed the control or 100 [micro]g/kg added Cr diets, but decreased in pigs fed 200 [micro]g/kg Cr (quadratic, P [less than or equal to] 0.001). During the finisher period, pigs supplemented with 200 [micro]g/kg added Cr had the greatest ADG and G:F (quadratic, P [less than or equal to] 0.019). Overall, increasing Cr had no effect on ADG or ADFI; but G:F was greatest (quadratic, P = 0.020) when pigs were fed 100 [micro]g/kg of added Cr throughout. Carcass characteristics were not influenced by Cr dosage or feeding regimen. In Exp. 2, a total of 1,206 pigs (PIC 359 * 1050, initial BW 48.9 kg) were used with 27 pigs per pen and 15 pens per treatment. Diets were corn-soybean meal, dried distillers grains with solubles based and were fed in four phases. There were three dietary treatments: a diet with no added Cr for both grower (dietary phase 1 and 2) and finisher (dietary phase 3 and 4) periods, a diet with 200 [micro]g/kg added Cr during the grower and 100 [micro]g/kg added Cr during the finisher periods, or a diet with 200 [micro]g/kg added Cr for both periods. Addition of 200 [micro]g/kg Cr in both periods marginally increased (P < 0.10) ADG compared with pigs fed no added Cr. There was no evidence (P [greater than or equal to] 0.523) of added Cr influencing overall ADFI and G:F. Percentage carcass yield was reduced (P = 0.018) when Cr was added at 200 [micro]g/kg for both periods, with no evidence of differences (P [greater than or equal to] 0.206) in other carcass characteristics. In summary, overall G:F was improved in Exp. 1, and ADG in Exp. 2, by added Cr, but there was no evidence that different feeding regimens will consistently result in