Abstract
An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that hydrolyzed spray-dried plasma (H-SDBP) perform similar to spray-dried bovine plasma (SDBP) in diets for weanling pigs with respect to growth performance of pigs housed in unsanitary pens. A control diet based on corn, soybean meal, and 9% soy protein concentrate (SPC) was formulated. Four diets containing either SDBP (i.e., 2.5 or 5.0%) or H-SDBP (i.e., 2.8 or 5.6%) that partially or fully replaced SPC were also formulated. A randomized complete block design with 240 weanling pigs (6.52 ± 0.98 kg), 5 diets, 4 pigs per pen, and 12 replicate pens per diet was used. Pigs were fed the experimental diets for the first 14 d, whereas a common phase 2 diet was fed to pigs from d 15 to 42. Data were analyzed using the Mixed Procedure of SAS with diet as the fixed effect and weaning group as the random effect. Linear effects of SDBP and H-SDBP on growth performance were also determined using contrast statements. From d 1 to 14, fully replacing SPC with SDBP or H-SDBP increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG), gain:feed, and body weight of pigs (Table 1). During this period, linear (P < 0.01) increases in ADG, gain:feed, and body weight of pigs were also observed as dietary concentrations of SDBP increased. When pigs were fed the common diet from d 15 to 42, final body weight of pigs was increased (linear, P < 0.05) as concentration of SDBP or H-SDBP increased in the diet. Overall, ADG of pigs linearly increased (P < 0.05) as dietary concentration of both plasma sources increased. In conclusion, both plasma sources are effective in increasing pig growth performance.
