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An extract derived from a specific strain of yeast containing hydrolyzed protein and high concentrations of nucleotides was tested in the present study. The objective of the present trial was to evaluate the effect of yeast hydrolyzed protein on performance and health of weaned piglets. The trial was setup as a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial design with the factors diet (control and yeast hydrolyzed protein), sex (boar and gilt) and weight category (light, medium, heavy). Diets were iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenic and had the following specifications: First stage: 15.2 MJ digestible energy, 21.5% crude protein, 1.70% lysine; second stage: 15.0 MJ digestible energy, 21.0% crude protein, 1.60% lysine. Yeast hydrolyzed protein was included at 2.0% and did replace 2.0% fish meal. A total of 210 piglets with an average weight of 8.27 kg were assigned by body weight and sex to 36 pens of 5 piglets each. The trial lasted 4 weeks and feed intake, body weight and FCR were determined weekly. Animal health and mortalities were recorded daily.
Overall performance and health was good: average daily gain: 424 g (SE = 9.30 g); feed intake 556 g (SE = 13.38 g); FCR 1.31 (SE = 0.018). Feed intake of gilts was higher (575 vs. 536 g; P < 0.05) and weight gain tended to be higher (435 vs. 413 g; P = 0.11) than for boars. Weight band did not influence weight gain, but FCR was increasing from light to heavy piglets (1.24, 1.31, 1.38; P < 0.001). Yeast hydrolyzed protein showed a strong tendency to improve weight gain (436 vs. 412 g; P = 0.08) and FCR (1.29 vs. 1.33; P = 0.09). Weight gain in wk 4 was significantly improved by the yeast hydrolyzed protein (P < 0.05). Piglet uniformity at wk 4 was also improved with yeast hydrolyzed protein (13.85% vs. 17.81%). Following the 4-week trial period, the pigs were monitored through to slaughter to investigate the impact of yeast hydrolyzed protein on lifetime performance.
Overall, average liveweight gain was similar (100.37 vs. 99.75 kg) as was daily liveweight gain (668 vs. 661g).
P Spring, T McArdle, J Boyd, S Wilson, JA Taylor-Pickard, K Jacques. 2011. Effect of NuProTM on performance of weaned piglets. Journal of Animal Science, 89 (E-Suppl. 2): page 69.