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Report no. 528


Christian Fink Hansen Helle D. Kjærsgaard Bent Borg Jensen Knud Erik Bach Knudsen
20.09.2001
Effect of meal feed, potato protein concentrate, a commercial mix, sugar beet pulp and zinc gluconate on prevalence of Salmonella, gastro-intestinal health and productivity in finishers

Abstract
The effect of two different ingredients, a commercial mix and a commercial product for finishers was examined.

The effect was measured on the prevalence of Salmonella, gastro-intestinal health and productivity. The trial comprised the following groups:

Group 1:

Heat-treated (expanded), pelleted feed (control)

Group 2:

As group 1, but with meal feed that was neither heat-treated nor pelleted

Group 3:

As group 1, with a content of 5% potato protein concentrate

Group 4:

Commercial mix from Aarhusegnens Andel (expanded and pelleted)

Group 5:

As group 1, with a content of 10% sugar beet pulp

Group 6:

As group 1, with a content of 0.05% zinc gluconate from SCAN FEED

The trial was carried out in one herd. 1,224 pigs were included in a randomised batch test with six test groups and 15-20 replicates.

The results showed that meal feed reduced the prevalence of Salmonella compared with pelleted feed. Meal feed also yielded a better microbial balance in the gastro-intestinal tract than heat-treated, pelleted feed, but at the same time it affected the productivity negatively. The improved microbial balance in the gastro-intestinal tract is probably due to the fact that the meal feed resulted in a digestive material where there was little separation between the fluid and the solid matter phase.

The trial also showed that addition of 10% sugar beet pulp to heat-treated, pelleted feed resulted in a significant reduction in the prevalence of Salmonella. The reduction was not as distinct as when using meal feed, but it did not reduce the productivity. It was not possible to prove any significant differences in the microbial system when 10% sugar beet pulp was added to the feed.

There was no effect of potato protein concentrate, the commercial mix from Aarhusegnens Andel or of addition of zinc gluconate on the prevalence of Salmonella, productivity or the microbial system compared with the control feed.
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