Effects of an enzyme blend (livestock answer) in diets containing dried distillers grains with solubles on growth performance of nursery and finishing pigs

Abstract

Two trials were conducted to determine the effects of an enzyme blend (Livestock Answer; Environmental Care and Share, Golden, CO) on growth performance of nursery and wean-to-finish pigs. Livestock Answer contains amylases, cellulases, proteases, lipases, and phytases. In Exp. 1, a total of 180 pigs (PIC TR4 × 1050, initially 12.3 lb and 21 d old) were used in a 28-d trial. Pigs were blocked by weight and allotted at weaning to 1 of 3 enzyme levels (0%, 0.125%, and 0.175%). There were 6 pigs per pen and 10 replications per treatment. Diets were corn-soybean meal based and contained 15% dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) during Phase 1 (d 0 to 14) and 25% DDGS during Phase 2 (d 14 to 28). From d 0 to 14, increasing enzyme level improved ADG (quadratic; P = 0.04) and F/G (linear; P = 0.05) and tended to improve (P < 0.07) ADFI and pig weight on d 14. From d 14 to 28, enzyme level had no effect (P > 0.20) on ADG or ADFI but worsened F/G (quadratic; P = 0.04). Pigs fed an enzyme blend for the first 14 d after weaning had improved growth performance. However, over the entire 28-d nursery period, enzyme level had no effect (P > 0.22) on pig performance. In Exp. 2, a total of 224 nursery pigs (PIC TR4 ×1050, initially 13.4 lb and 21 d of age) were blocked by weight and allotted to 1 of 4 treatments. There were 8 pigs per pen and 7 pens per treatment. Livestock Answer was added at 0.125% to either the nursery or finisher stage or both in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (with and without in nursery and with and without in finisher). Diets were corn-soybean meal based and contained 15% DDGS from d 0 to 14, 25% DDGS from d 14 to 35, and 30% DDGS from d 35 to d 126. On d 126, pigs were harvested and carcass data were collected. Adding the enzyme to nursery, finishing, and nursery and finishing combined diets containing DDGS did not influence (P > 0.20) ADG, ADFI, F/G, or any of the carcass criteria measured in Exp 2.