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Report no. 341

Abstract
Four commercial products for finishers were tested. The products were compared with a control mix with no addition of antibiotic growth promoter.

The trial included the following treatments:
·         Control feed without growth promoter
·         Salocin 25 ppm, from Hoechst Roussel Vet
·         Sangrovit 30 ppm, from Hoechst Roussel Vet
·         Sangrovit 50 ppm, from Hoechst Roussel Vet
·         ToyoCerin 20 ppm, from LOHMANN ANIMAL HEALTH GmbH & Co. KG
·         Acid Lac 0.3 per cent, from KEMIN

The trial was carried out in cooperation with the companies concerned, which also supplied the products tested. The companies analysed the feed mixes for their own products. The products were tested on finishers approximately weighing between 30 and 100 kg in one herd. Each treatment included 24 repeats, totalling 81 pigs per group.

The chemical analysis of the feed in general showed good concordance with the calculated nutritional content. Though, the analysed content of lysine was lower than calculated in the feed containing Sangrovit, 50 ppm, at one delivery. The company analyses of their own products showed an acceptable content in relation to the expected content.

The production value of the individual mixes has been calculated on the basis of production results and is stated as gross margin per pen place per year at the same price for all mixes.

The production value of the feed mix with Sangrovit, 30 ppm, was significantly higher than the production value of the control mix without growth promoter. No significant difference showed between the control group and the experimental groups with 50 ppm of Sangrovit, Salocin, ToyoCerin or Acid Lac. However, the production value tended to increase when Salocin was added to the feed mix.

Background
The use of antibiotic growth promoter in feed presumably increases the risk of developing bacteria which are resistant to antibiotics used for human. Therefore, there is a desire to find alternative products which have a growth promoting effect.

The market offers an increasing number of products of presumed growth-promoting effect in finishers. Documentation for the effectiveness of the products is, however, necessary to be able to estimate the financial gain achieved from using the products in feed for finishers.

The object of testing commercial products for finishers is to provide documentation for the production value of the products. The effect of the products is measured by production results: feed intake, feed conversion, daily gain and lean meat percentage.

Materials and methods
The trial was carried out in one finisher herd. It included four products: Salocin, Sangrovit, ToyoCerin and Acid Lac. Sangrovit was tested in two doses. The feed mix with Salocin was included in the trial as a positive control to be able to compare the effect of a well known growth promoter with the effects of alternative products. There was also a control mix without growth promoter. The distribution of groups in the trial appears from Table 1.

MS pigs entered the trial at an average weight of 30 kg. The pigs were purchased from 4 herds. The trial comprised a total of 486 pigs, distributed into 24 repeats, totalling 81 pigs per experimental group. Each pen held three or four pigs. The repeats were divided into three blocks concerning number of pigs and distribution of sexes in the pen, resulting in nine repeats with two female pigs and two castrates per pen, eight repeats with two female pigs and one castrate per pen, and seven repeats with one female pig and two castrates per pen.

The finisher unit was divided into two sections. The pens had a solid floor and a cleaning corridor. Straw bedding was used. Each pen had one simple dry feed dispenser and one nipple drinker. The pigs were fed ad lib. and had free access to feed day and night. Feed was given manually about every second day. Feed intake, gain, medical treatments and slaughter data were recorded. The intermediate weight of the pigs was recorded about one month after the pigs entered the trial.

Data were analysed statistically by an analysis of variance in the GLM procedure in SAS. Gross margin per pen place per year was calculated based on production results measured and adjusted to the same weight at entry and at slaughter. The following class variables were included in the statistical model: Block, repeat within block and group. Five paired comparisons were made: Groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 against the control group without growth promoter. Significant differences are stated at five per cent level adjusted for more paired comparisons by a Bonferroni t-test statistic.

Results and discussion
In general, the calculated and the analysed content of nutrients in the mixes show good concordance, cf. appendix 3. Though, the analysed content of lysine was lower than calculated in the feed containing Sangrovit, 50 ppm, at the second delivery causing a 7% undersupply of digestible lysine per FUs in relation to the standard in the last part of the finishing period.

The companies involved have tested the content of there own products in the feed mixes, as there is no known authorised analytical methods for a number of the tested products. The companies' analytical results of their own products in the feed mixes were within an acceptable area in relation to expected contents, cf. appendix 3. Though, the analysed contents of Sangrovit and Acid Lac in the mixes were lower than calculated. Concerning Sangrovit, the deviation can be due to the fact, that up til now there have not been developed a satisfactory analytical method. As Acid Lac was included in the feed mix in higher amount than the other products, no premix was made with Acid Lac as with the other products, cf. appendix 1. The lower analysed content of Acid Lac in the feed mix than calculated can therefore be due to the separate admixing when the feed was produced.

The production results are shown both before and after the intermediate weighing and totalling for the whole experimental period (Table 2). The results are given as adjusted means at the same weight at entry, intermediate weighing and delivery of the pigs. The average body weight at entry, intermediate weighing and delivery, respectively, was 30, 53, and 100 kg.

The health condition of the pigs was in general good. No pigs were treated against diarrhoea or any other digestive disorders. In the experimental period, one pig from group 1, one pig from group 4, two pigs from group 5, and one pig from group 6 were excluded from the experiment due to other reasons than digestible disorders. Moreover, there was two dead pigs in group 4 and one dead pig in group 6.

In the statistical calculation, one pen was excluded from group 3 owing to a significantly (p=0.004) deviating value for the gross margin, which was due to a very low lean meat percentage for the pen in question.

From the results it appears that addition of 25 ppm of Salocin to the feed mix showed no significant effect, though a tendency (p=0.07) towards increased production value.

The production value of the feed mixes with ToyoCerin and Acid Lac showed no significant difference from the production value of the control mix.

The cost of the different products are as mentioned not included in the calculation of the production value. In Table 3, apart from the production value, are also given the actual gross margins at current prices for the products, cf. appendix 2. Though, the statistical analysis is only performed with the same price for all mixes. From the actual gross margin at current prices it appears that the gross margin can be increased by DKK 67 per pen place per year by addition of Sangrovit, 30 ppm, to the feed. In comparison, the trial showed that the gross margin can be increased by DKK 54 per pen place per year by addition of Salocin, 25 ppm. By addition the other products, there was only seen small or no increase of the actual gross margin.

The conclusion of the trial is that addition of Sangrovit, 30 ppm, to finisher feed resulted in a significantly higher production value compared with the control group without growth promoter.

Appendix 1 - Finisher mixes, ingredients, percentage

Appendix 2 - Product description based on company information

GROUP 2:
Product name:  Salocin
Supplier:
Hoechst Roussel Vet
Islevdalvej 110
DK-2610 Rødovre
Tel.: +45 44 88 82 00
Content: Salinomycin 120 g/kg. The carrier is calcium carbonate.
Price: DKK 1.12 per 100 kg of feed at admixture of Salocin 25 ppm.

GROUPS 3 AND 4:
Product name: Sangrovit
Supplier: Hoechst Roussel Vet
Content: The product is a natural feed supplement which adjusts aroma and appetite. The product is made of the root of the plant Sanguinaria candadesis, which grows in North-Eastern America. The active substance is Sanguinarin.
Price: DKK 1.83 and 3.05 per 100 kg of feed at admixture of Sangrovit 30 and 50 ppm, respectively.

GROUP 5:
Product name: ToyoCerin
Supplier:
LOHMANN ANIMAL HEALTH GmbH & Co. KG
Heinz-Lohmann-Str. 4
D-27472 Cuxhaven
Germany
Tel.: +49 4721 7470
Content: The product contains bacterial spores of Bacillus cereus var. toyoi (10¹⁰ CFU/g).
Price:DKK 1.20 per 100 kg of feed at admixture of ToyoCerin 20 ppm.

GROUP 6:
Product name: Acid Lac
Supplier:
KEMIN Scandinavia
Gelsåvej 26
DK-6500 Vojens
Tel: +45 74 54 74 82
Content: The product consists of a mixture of five organic acids: fumaric acid, lactic acid, propionic acid, formic acid and citric acid. The acid activity is 68 per cent, the residual being a carrier. The ratio between the five acids is stated to be a balanced ratio.
Price: DKK 3.75 per 100 kg of feed at admixture of Acid Lac 0.3 per cent.

Appendix 3 - Calculated and analysed nutritional content of the mixes (average of two feed deliveries)

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