Feed Additives for Swine

Dr. Bob Thaler South Dakota State UniversityDr. Bob Thaler South Dakota State UniversityRobert.thaler@sdstate.eduRobert.thaler@sdstate.edu

Feed Additives Compounds that MAYMAY elicit a response

independent of the pig’s energy, amino acid, and vitamin/mineral requirements

Response is dependent on age of pig, disease level, genetics, environmental factors, & type of diet/feedstuffs

General Categories

Antibacterials & Antibiotics

Chemotherapeutics Organic acids Probiotics &

Prebiotics Enzymes

Botanicals Carcass modifiers Flavors Aromas Mold inhibitors Mycotoxin binders Odor reducers

Antibiotic Efficacy in Nursery & Grow-Finish Pigs (% improvement)

Years Production Stage

Daily Gain Feed/Gain

1950-77 Nursery (7-25 kg)

16.1 6.9

Grow-Finish 4.0 2.1

1978-85 Nursery (7-25 kg)

15.0 6.5

Grow-Finish 3.6 2.4

Sows & Antibiotics General thought is not to add antibiotics to

sow diets if conception rate is > 85% However, if conception rate is < 85%, may be

beneficial depending on the problem Must be at the therapeutic level

2 weeks before breeding One week prior to farrowing to weaning

Commonly Used Feed Additives

6.3

8.6

35

48

56.3

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Carbadox

Lincomycin

Bacitracin

CTC

Tylosin

% Sites Feeding Antibiotics

USDA:APHIS, 2000

Commonly Used Feed Additives(Company Feeding >25% of US Pigs)

Antibiotic Concentr(g/kg)

Retail$/kg

Dietary Inclusion

#1 CTC 110 3.06 55/ton

#2 Tylan 22 3.76 11-110 g/ton

#3 Mecadox 5.5 2.95 55 g/ton

#4 BMD 66 5.26 33 g/ton

#5Lincomycin 22 6.14 22, 44, 110, or 220 g/ton

Lincomycin Reducing the severity of swine mycoplasmal

pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

Controlling ileitis, also known as Porcine Proliferative Enteropathy

Treating and controlling swine dysentery

Lincomycin

Increasing the rate of weight gain in growing-finishing swine

FDA approved for ileitis control and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

LINCOMIX at 40 g/t for ileitis control costs $5 to $7 less per ton than the approved Tylan* dose of 100 g/t

Tylosin (Tylan) Classic antibiotic used for growth promotion

Relatively inexpensive No withdrawal. Tylan can be fed to market

weight Only Tylan® Premix, fed at 100 g/ton, is

approved to prevent and control ileitis. No other product can legally make this claim

Tylosin (Tylan) Convenient. One product for ileitis prevention

and growth promotion Tylan is primarily active against gram-positive

bacteria and has significant activity against mycoplasma

Feeding it during grow-finish phase increased longissimus muscle area

Carbadox (Mecadox) Typically fed in the Pre-weaning, Nursery, and

early Grower diets For the treatment of clinical outbreaks of

swine dysentery (vibrioic dysentery, "bloody" scours of haemorrhagic dysentery)

For the prevention and control of swine dysentery

Carbadox (Mecadox) For increase in rate of mass gain and

improvement of feed efficiency10 week withdrawal prior to slaughter

Do not use in feeds containing bentonite Usually too expensive to use strictly for

growth promotion

Chemotherapeutic Agents Naturally occurring or chemically synthesized

compounds that inhibit the growth of microorganisms Copper Sulfate

100 to 250 ppm in nursery diets Additive effect with antibiotics

Zinc oxide 1500 to 3000 ppm Controls some post-weaning scours

Higher levels can be toxic (know base levels) High levels in the manure – environmental problems

Already being regulated in some European countries

Probiotics Living bacteria or yeast cultures to enhance

microbial balance Lactobacillus species, Bacillus subtilis,

Streptococcus faecium, Saccharomyces cerevisiae or various mixtures

Traditionally use in nursery diets Beginning to be used in grow-finish diets Strain of microbe, dose, interactions,

feedstuffs, feed processing

Enzymes Increase nutrient utilization Not much benefit with corn-SBM diets More of a benefit with wheat & barley-based

diets Beta glucanase and xylanase are the most

commonly used ones Others include alpha amylase, cellulase,

protease, and various combinations Great variation in efficacy

Phytase Most commonly used enzyme in the world Increases utilization of phytate P in grains Decrease P excretion

Less P running off into lakes and rivers Less euthrophication

Decrease amount of inorganic P Currently slight economic savings in diet cost Tremendous environmental benefit

Others Mold Inhibitors

effective against molds, not mycotoxins Antioxidants – increase shelf-life & are effective Mycotoxin Binders

Are present even if mold is gone Products effective against aflatoxins (clays, HSCAS,

pellet binders) Few, if any, products effective on other mycotoxins

Others cont. Odor Reducing Additives

Many products, few effective (DeOdorase, Microaid)

Heavily dependent on condition of individual systems

Manure composition, pH, temperature, antibacterials, water, etc

Carcass Modifiers Ractopamine (Paylean)

Chromium tripicolinate

Betaine

L-carnitine

Zilpaterol

Ractopamine (PayLean) Beta agonist that “repartitions” where

nutrients go (from fat to lean deposition)

Improves: Growth rate Feed conversion Lean deposition

Ractopamine (PayLean) Approved at the 9 g/ton level the last 90

pounds prior to slaughter 5 g/ton improves gain (10%) & efficiency

(17%) Maybe carcass

9.9 g/ton improves gain & efficiency, carcass weight & dressing %

Ractopamine (PayLean) 19.8 g/ton seldom used

cost of product Increased death-loss potential

Greatest response first 2 weeks, then decreases over the last 2 weeks

Need at least a 16% protein diet and .90% lysine diet (watch all amino acid levels)

PayLean Use In Commercial Operations Used to decrease total number of marketing

days for a group/barn#1 Market first group of heaviest pigs#2 Feed the 5 g/ton level for 2 weeks#3 Feed the 9.9 g/ton level for the last 2 weeks

or until all the pigs are marketed

Handling/Stress Is An Issue!

Elanco has developed a program on proper handling of swine from farm through

harvest

Carcass Modifiers Organic Chromium (tripicolinate)

Increase leanness 6%, but not consistent 200 ppb Cr improved sow fertility, # born & weaned Must be fed at least 6 months to get sow response

Betaine (sugar beet industry) Enhance leanness and feed efficiency (?????) Works with met/cys deficiency or lysine excess

Carnitine Initially thought to improve leanness & efficiency Some response in nursery pigs 50 ppm in gestation increased litter size & birth weight

Example Current diet cost = $120/ton Feed additive costs $15 to add to a ton of

feed($135 - $120) * 100 = 12.5% improvement in

F/G $120 just to pay for itselfIf getting a 10% improvement in feed

efficiency, still losing money!!!

Doesn’t take into Consideration Changes in: Gain

Carcass characteristics

Deathloss

Summary

Feed additives can be effective tools when used properly Do the “Homework” for YOUR operation

Match disease problem with feed additive Feed additives are not a replacement for poor

management Ractopamine is economically advantageous when

used strategically

Summary Make sure you get a real “Net” economic

benefit that’s consistent Use your feed $ where you’ll get the best,

most consistent return on your investment.