Evaluation of PEP2 in nursery pig diets

A total of 300 nursery pigs (PIC 327 × 1050, initially 12.0 lb and 21 d of age) were used in a 25-d study to determine the effects of PEP2 (proteins enzymatically processed) on growth performance of weaned pigs. PEP2 is a combination of refined porcine intestinal mucosa co-dried with enzymatically processed vegetable protein. There were 5 dietary treatments: (1) negative control containing no specialty protein sources, (2) positive control containing 4% spray-dried animal plasma (SDAP) in Phase 1 and 4% select menhaden fish meal in Phase 2, (3) 4% PEP2, (4) 8% PEP2, and (5) 12% PEP2. All diets were fed in 2 phases, and treatments containing PEP2 had the same inclusion rate in both phases. Phase 1 diets were fed in pellet form from d 0 to 11 after weaning. Phase 2 diets were fed in meal form from d 11 to 25. In Phase 1, increasing PEP2 improved (linear; P < 0.01) F/G. However, pigs fed SDAP had greater (P < 0.01) ADG and improved F/G compared with pigs fed the PEP2 diets. In Phase 2, increasing PEP2 increased (quadratic; P < 0.01) ADG, and F/G. Pigs fed PEP2 had greater (P< 0.01) ADG and ADFI than pigs fed the positive control diet containing fish meal. Overall (d 0 to 25), pigs fed the positive control diet had improved (P < 0.01) ADG and F/G compared with those fed the negative control. Pigs fed the diet containing PEP2 had similar performance to pigs fed the positive control diets. In conclusion, although pigs fed SDAP in Phase 1 had better ADG and F/G than pigs fed the increasing levels of PEP2, in Phase 2, pigs fed PEP2 had greater ADG and improved F/G compared with pigs fed 4% select menhaden fish meal.