“SPRAY-DRIED PLASMA SUPPLEMENTATION AIDS RECOVERY OF LOW BODY WEIGHT PIGS AT WEANING”
Low body weight (BW) pigs at weaning have lower survival and growth relative to heavier BW cohorts and need special care and nutrition. As spray-dried plasma (SDP) percentage in pig feed increases to 10%, there is a linear increase in feed intake and growth regardless of BW or age at weaning.
Eight trials involving 1644 pigs (average wean BW, 4.04-5.18 kg) evaluated growth effects of supplementing (top-dressing) SDP on nursery feed to low BW pigs compared to non-supplemented control groups.
SDP supplementation (10-26 g/pig/d), feeding duration (10 to 28 days) and total SDP fed per pig ranged from 100 to 390 g/pig and varied by trial (T1-T8). Overall, supplementing SDP (10-28 d) enhanced growth while fed and maintained a BWG advantage thereafter to nursery exit (D49).
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