Document Type

Article

2001-07

Publication Date

2002

Keywords

Weaned pigs, Diet complexity, Zinc oxide, carbadox

Summary

The scientific literature documents the efficacy of antibacterial feed additives for weaned pigs. More recently, Feeding therapeutic levels of supplemental zinc (Zn) from zinc oxide (ZnO) stimulated voluntary feed intake and weight gain of young pigs. Over the last decade, research demonstrated that swine diets contianing sub-therapeutic levels of various antibiotics combined with pharmacological levels of copper (Cu) resulted in better performance than when either ingredient was provided individually. In 1982, an additive improvement in performance was found when a sub-therapeutic level (55 mg/kg) of carbodox (CARB) and high level of Cu (125 mg/kg) were provided in combination in a corn-soybean meal diet. The interactive effects of Cu from copper sulfate (CuSO4) and Zn from ZnO in diets for weanling pigs on performance have been evaluated, and the use of 3000 mg/kg Zn alone provided greater performance than the use of both Cu and Zn. Because Cu and Zn have independent biological growth promoting properies, it is necessary to determine if swine diets containing an antimicrobial agent in combination with 3000 mg/kg Zn as ZnO may result in better performance than when either is provided individually. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the additive effects of 3000 mg/kg Zn as ZnO and CARB on weaned pig performance and (2) to evaluate whether simple nursery diets containing Zn as ZnO support performance that is similar to complex (phase I and phase II) nursery diets.

Number of Pages

6

Format

application/pdf

Language

en

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Rights

Copyright © 2001

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