Evaluating the effects of specialty protein sources on nursery pig performance and measurement of acid-binding capacity of common nursery pig feed ingredients

Abstract

The 3 chapters of this thesis involve 1) an evaluation of fermented corn protein and its effects in either high or low branch chain amino acid to leucine ratio diets on nursery pig performance and feed intake preference, 2) an evaluation of the acid-binding capacity of ingredients and complete diets commonly used for weanling pigs, and 3) the influence of anchovy fish meal compared to other protein sources on nursery pig performance. Chapter 1 consisted of 3 experiments which used 880 weaned pigs to evaluate fermented corn protein’s effect on nursery pigs. In Exp. 1, fermented corn protein was evaluated as a potential replacement to enzymatically treated soybean meal. In Exp. 2, pigs were fed increasing levels of fermented corn protein with either low or high branch chain amino acid to leucine ratios. In Exp. 3, fermented corn protein and its components were evaluated to measure nursery pig feed intake preference. Results from the studies suggest that fermented corn protein decreases nursery pig performance and increasing branch amino acid to leucine ratio only improves feed efficiency, however, whole stillage solids appear to be the component of fermented corn protein that negatively affect feed intake preference. Chapter 2 measured the acid-binding capacity of common nursery pig feed ingredients and evaluated acid-binding capacity additivity in complete diets. The results of this study suggest a low acid-binding capacity diets can be successfully formulated through careful selection of ingredients. Ingredients, with the exception of calcium carbonate and zinc oxide, appear to be additive in complete diets. Calcium carbonate and zinc oxide’s acid-binding capacity contribution in complete diets did not match its value from ingredient analysis. Chapter 3 consisted of two experiments which used 2,502 weaned pigs to determine the influence of anchovy fish meal compared to other protein sources on nursery pig performance. In both experiments, pigs were fed diets containing one of six vegetable or animal protein sources with Exp. 2 being held in a commercial environment. Protein sources included enzymatically treated soybean meal, spray-dried bovine plasma, fermented soybean meal with or without fish solubles, fish meal with or without fish solubles. In Exp. 1, fish meal with solubles and spray-dried bovine plasma resulted in a 5 to 7% improvement in average daily gain, although results were not significant. However, in Exp. 2, pigs fed fish meal with solubles had decreased growth performance compared to other protein sources.