Supplementing salinomycin to diets for growing-finishing pigs.
Feeding experiments with growing-finishing pigs were carried out to study the effect of different dietary salinomycin concentrations upon animal performance. Besides a dietary treatment without antibiotic, three treatments consisted of 20/10 mg/kg, 40/20 mg/kg and 60/30 mg/kg salinomycin (the first and second number refer to the salinomycin content in grower and finisher diet, respectively). Compared to the control group, feeding diets with 20 or 40 mg/kg salinomycin resulted in significantly higher weight gain in the grower period (25-45 kg body weight), while also feed conversion was lower (although not statistically significant). In the finisher period (45-100 kg body weight) salinomycin had no significant effect upon weight gain or feed conversion efficiency, but the 20 and 30 mg/kg treatments yielded the best results. Considering the grower and finisher period together the dietary treatments 40/20 mg/kg and 60/30 mg/kg showed highest growth rate and most favourable feed conversion, although not statistically significant. Carcass characteristics (dressing percentage, carcass length, backfat thickness, percent meat) were not affected by dietary salinomycin supplementation.
De Schrijver
R
R
Laboratory of Nutrition, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
Moreels
A
A
Fremaut
D
D
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011714:Pyrans / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*; D000095662:Polyether Polyketides
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011714:Pyrans; C010327:salinomycin; D000095662:Polyether Polyketides