Abstract A total of 2,520 pigs (PIC 337 × 1050, initially 5.2 ± 0.10 kg) were used in a 42-d study to determine the effects of dietary and water-based butyrate glyceride supplementation on growth performance of nursery pigs. Pigs were weaned at approximately 20 d of age and randomly allotted to pens. Pens of pigs were blocked by initial body weight and allotted to 1 of 6 treatments in a randomized complete block design with 30 pigs per pen and 14 pens per treatment across two rooms. Treatment diets were formulated in three phases and fed based on a feed budget. The six treatments were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial with main effects of monoglyceride supplementation in water (Control or Protaq Bond 50 included at a rate to reach a target water pH of 4.0) and feed (Control, Acitra G20C, or Acitra G20C and Entero-Nova 410C). Protaq Bond 50 is a source of acidifiers and copper. Acitra G20C, a blend of organic acids, was included at 0.3% in phase 1, 0.15% in phase 2, and none in phase 3. Entero-Nova 410C, a blend of monoglycerides, was included at 0.3% in phases 1 and 2, and 0.1% in phase 3. Pigs were weighed and feed disappearance was measured every 7 d to determine ADG, ADFI, and G:F. From d 0 to 7, pigs provided water with Protaq Bond 50 had increased (P 0.001) ADG (90 vs. 71 g/d for Control) and G:F (646 vs. 514 g/kg for Control). Over the entire 42-d period, there were no differences in ADG or ADFI for water or feed treatments. There was a tendency (P = 0.098) for a main effect of diet on G:F, where pigs fed Acitra numerically had the greatest G:F and pigs fed the Control had numerically decreased G:F. There was a tendency (P = 0.055) for a Water × Diet interaction on mortality, where diet did not affect mortality in pigs provided Control water; however, when offered Protaq water, pigs fed Acitra had numerically lower mortality and pigs fed Acitra and Entero-Nova had numerically greater mortality compared to pigs fed the Control. There were no differences in removals or total removals and mortality. In summary, pigs provided Protaq in the water had increased ADG and G:F compared to pigs provided Control water in the first 7 d post-weaning. Overall, pigs fed a blend of organic acids had numerically increased G:F compared to pigs fed the Control, but there was no further benefit when both organic acids and monoglycerides were included in the diet. The addition of monoglycerides in feed or water had no effect on overall ADG, ADFI, removals, or total removals and mortality.
Kim et al. (Wed,) studied this question.