Report no. 390

Jes Callesen

16.06.1998

Ecodiar for finishers

Abstract
One commercial product for finishers was tested. The product - a plant extract of oregano - was compared to a control feed without addition of an antibiotic growth promoter.

The test included the following treatments:
- Control feed without growth promoter
- 0,25 kg/ton Ecodiar

The test was carried out in cooperation with Kela Laboratoria b.v., who also supplied the product tested. The product was tested on finishers weighing between 30 and 108 kg in one herd. Each treatment included 18 blocks (replications), totalling 72 pigs per group.

The chemical analysis of the feed showed good concordance with the calculated content of nutrients.

The production value of the two diets was calculated from the production results and is stated as gross margin per pen place per year at the same price for both mixes.

This test showed that addition of the product Ecodiar to finisher feed had no statistically significant effect on the production value compared to a control group without growth promoter.

Background
The use of antibiotic growth promoter in feed presumably increases the risk of developing bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics used in human medicine. Thus, there is a desire to find alternative products which can improve feed conversion and daily gain.

The market offers an increasing number of products as alternative to growth promoters. Documentation for the effectiveness of the products is, however, necessary to be able to estimate the financial gain of 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 the production results: feed conversion, daily gain and lean meat percentage.

The plant extract Ecodiar contains essential oils, which presumably stimulate feed intake. Furthermore the essential oils have in laboratory trails shown a bacteria killing effect on a variety of different bacteria, among these E.coli and Salmonella. The object of this test is to see if addition of Ecodiar in feed for finishers (30-100 kg) will improve the production value of the feed.

Materials and methods
The test was carried out in one herd with finishers. The product Ecodiar was compared to a control mixture without growth promoter. The experimental design is shown in table 1.

Table 1. Experimental design
Group	Product	Company
1	Control without growth promoter	-
2	0.25 kg/ton Ecodiar	Kela Laboratoria b.v.

Both feed mixtures were produced at Aarhusegnens Andels Grovvareforening a.m.b.a. The composition of the feed mixtures is shown in appendix 1 and a description of the product tested is shown in appendix 2. For both groups the feed was formulated to have a content of amino acids: lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan, 5 per cent above the current recommendation. This was done to counteract fluctuation in the crude protein contents of the raw materials. In all groups the feed was heat treated and pelleted at a minimum temperature of 81 degree Celsius. The feed was produced in three batches. At each delivery of feed, both mixes were analysed for content of energy (EFOS), amino acids, calcium, phosphor and cobber. Furthermore a screening for antibiotic activity was performed on one sample of feed from the group, where the product was added (group 2).

SPF-pigs - which were PRRS-positive - were purchased for the test. The pigs entered the test at an average weight of 30.5 kg. The pigs were purchased from one herd. The test comprised a total of 144 pigs, distributed into 18 blocks (replications), totalling 72 pigs per experimental group. Each pen held four pigs, and the pigs were of the same sex within each block. In total there were nine blocks with females and nine blocks with castrates.

The finisher unit was divided into two sections. The pens had a solid floor and a dung passage. Straw bedding was used. Each pen had one simple dry feed dispenser and one nipple drinker. The pigs were fed ad libitum and had free access to feed day and night. Feed was dispensed manually about every second day. Feed intake, gain, treatments of disease and slaughter data were recorded. The pigs were weighed about one month after entering the test. Data were subjected to an analysis of variance according to GLM procedure in SAS. Gross margin per pen place per year was calculated based on production results achieved and adjusted to the same weight at entry and at slaughter. The following class variables were included in the statistical model: Block and group. Statistically significant differences are stated at five per cent level.

Results and discussion
Feed analysis
The chemical analysis of the feed are shown in appendix 3.

In general, the calculated and the analysed content of nutrients in the mixes showed good concordance. However, the analysed content of lysine was lower than calculated in both groups. The content of lysine in the control feed (group 1) corresponded to an undersupply of 2 per cent compared to the current recommendation, which may be regarded as insignificant. The content of lysine in the test feed (group 2) was above the current recommendation.

The screening of the test feed (group 2) showed no antibiotic activity.

Treatments of disease
In general the health condition of the pigs was good. In the control group four pigs were treated for leg problems, and in the test group two pigs were treated against diarrhoea. In the test group one pig died due to digestive disorders during the test.

Productions results
The production results are shown for the period before and after the intermediate weighing as well as for the whole experimental period (Table 2). The average body weight at entry, intermediate weighing and delivery, respectively, was 31, 53 and 108 kg.

Table 2. Production results corrected to the same body weight at entry, intermediate weighing, and delivery
Product	Control without growth promoter	Ecodiar 0,25 kg/ton
Number of blocks (replications) Number of pigs delivered	18 72	18 71
31-53 kg: Daily feed intake, FUs Daily gain, g FUs per kg of gain	1.80 797 2.26	1.87 909 2.06
53-108 kg: Daily feed intake, FUs Daily gain, g FUs per kg of gain	3.10 1,164 2.66	3.00 1,142 2.63
31-108 kg: Daily feed intake, FUs Daily gain, g FUs per kg gain Lean meat percentage	2.61 1,035 2.52 58.1	2.62 1,059 2.47 58.4

The weight of the pigs at delivery was higher then planned, because the slaughtering of the pigs were subjected to irregularities in connection with Christmas and New Year, and the pigs could therefor not be delivered at the originally planed weight of 100 kg.

Table 3. Production value and actual gross margin at current prices ---
Product	Control without growth promoter	Ecodiar 0,25 kg/ton
Production value: Gross margin/pen place/year 1), DKK at DKK 1.30 per FUs 2) Index 2)	1,213 100	1,270 105
Actual gross margin at current prices3) Index	1,213 100	1,235 102

1)	With gain and feed consumption adjusted to same weight at entry and at slaughter. At a purchase price for 30 kg pigs at DKK 426. At sales price including bonus payment of DKK 11.78/kg. Various expenses: DKK 20 per pig. Stable utilitization: 95 per cent.
2)	A difference in production value of minimum DKK 95.23 per pen place per year or minimum 8 index points must be present to represent a statistically significant difference.
3)	A statistical calculation has not been made for the differences in the gross margin at the current prices. The actual gross margin was calculated based upon the gross sales price of the added product.

The production value stated as gross margin per pen place per year is shown in table 3. The production value is calculated on the basis of production results observed (daily gain, FUs per kg of gain and lean meat percentage) at a feed price of DKK 1.30 per FUs for both groups. Thus the price for adding the product Ecodiar is not included in the calculation.

Table 3 also shows the actual gross margins, where the gross sales price of the product has been added to the price of the control feed without growth promoter. The applied price was supplied by the producer of the product and reflects the typical price that a pig producer must pay for the product including the profit to feed companies.

The herd where this test was carried out, had a high production level and only few treatments of disease. Addition of the product Ecodiar for finishers had in this herd no statistically significant effect (p=0,42) on the production value compared to a control group without growth promoter.

Appendix 1
Finisher mixes, ingredients, percentage

	Group 1 Control	Group 2 Ecodiar, 0.25 kg/ton
Wheat	36.32	36.00
Barley	36.32	36.00
Soy meal, toasted	20.35	20.31
Animal fat	2.00	2.24
Molasses, sugar beet	2.00	2.00
Dicalciumphosphat	0.98	0.98
Chalk	0.89	0.83
NaCl	0.44	0.44
L-lysine	0.21	0.21
Methionine 40%	0.16	0.16
Threonine 50 %	0.13	0.13
Vitamins + minerals	0.20	0.20
Ecodiar (premix) 1)	-	0.50

1) The product was added as a premix containing Ecodiar (0.25 kg) mixed in fine wheat bran (4.75 kg).

Appendix 2 - Product description basen on company information
Group 2:

Product name:	Ecodiar
Supplier:	Kela Laboratoria b.v. c/o Calolcompagniet Torvet 6 8400 Ebeltoft Tel.: +45 86 34 12 33
Content:	Plant extract of oregano. Ecodiar is produced as a whitish powder, containing 5 per cent essential oils extracted from flowers and leaves from Oreganum Hyrti and inert carrier substances up to 100 per cent.
Price:	DKK 168 per kg of the product. DKK 4.20 per 100 kg of feed with the used dosages (0.25 kg/ton).

Appendix 3
Calculated and analysed content of nutrients in the mixes - three feed productions during the test

Mix	- -	Group 1 Control	Group 2 Ecodiar
Calculated/analysed 1)	Calculated	Analysed 2)	Analysed
FUs per 100 kg 2)	108	107	108
Crude protein, % 2)	17.1	16.9	16.7
Lysine, g/kg	9.7	8.8	9.4
Methionine, g/kg	3.1	3.0	2.9
Threonine, g/kg	6.5	6.5	6.3
Calcium	7.6	7.4	7.5
Total phosphorus, g/kg	5.3	5.6	5.7
Cobber, g/kg	29	21	21
Ecodiar	-	-	not analysed

1)	Analyzed content are an average of three analyses, if nothing else is mentioned.
2)	Average of six analyses.

Toasted
Toastning betyder opvarmning til 100-115 ºC i 20 minutter. En toastning reducerer indholdet af skadelige stoffer i en råvare.

WHO
Forkortelse af: World Health Organization.

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