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Minerals are required at specific concentrations for the proper function of animal metabolism (growth, reproduction, development of the immune system ...). Therefore, dietary mineral supplementation with complexed minerals is essential in animal production. Zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) are often included in pig diets in the form of inorganic salts. However, some reports have suggested that organic minerals may be more bioavailable than inorganic materials when administered to pigs, chickens and cows. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of a metal-amino acid complex (Zn, Mn, and Cu) supplementation on the growth performance and integrity of the locomotor system of pigs in the finishing phase. For that purpose, one hundred and eighty 61-day-old animals were used in a randomized block factorial design with ten replicates per treatment and sex. The experimental design consisted of two groups: a control group, without any supplementation, and a treated group, supplemented with the complex of organic minerals (0.75 g/kg), consisting of Zn (50 ppm), Mn (20 ppm), and Cu (10 ppm). At 112 days of housing (D112), the pigs were subjected to a hoof evaluation, at D115 they were weighed, and at D117, they were slaughtered (178 days of age). After boning, a blind analysis was performed on the medial and lateral condyles of the distal humeri. Supplemented animals showed higher scores for the performance parameters of final body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG). For weight gain, supplemented pigs presented 3.10 kg more gain than control pigs; moreover, the increase in females was on average 4.07 kg and in males 2.45 kg. The prevalence of hoof lesions was 100% in both groups. However, mineral supplementation reduced the incidence of damage to the dewclaws and heel-sole cracks. The incidence of osteochondrosis was 19.13%, with no influence of supplementation. It could be concluded that supplementing pigs with the complex of organic minerals during the finishing phase improved the pigs’ productive performance and helped reduce certain damage in hoof integrity.
da Silva, G. A., Fernandez, F. G., Backes, A. P., Donin, D. G., Fernandes, S. R., Fireman, A. K., ... & Alberton, G. C. (2019). Effect of the organic minerals zinc, manganese, and copper on growth performance and the locomotor system of finishing pigs. Semina: Ciências Agrárias, 40(6Supl2), 3209-3222. https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2019v40n6Supl2p3209