The effect of increasing dietary levels of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (CDDGS) on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in nursery pigs

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of diet formulation methods and addition of fiber degrading enzymes on growth performance, and nutrient utilization in nursery pigs fed high levels of CDDGS. In experiment 1, a total of 135 pigs were randomly selected for a 28 day study that was conducted in two trials. Pigs were randomly assigned to one of five treatments: positive control (Corn/SBM+0% CDDGS), negative control (30% CDDGS substituted for corn/SBM with no enzyme addition), negative control + 4000 unit/kg xylanase, negative control + 450 unit/kg β-glucanase, and negative control + xylanase + β-glucanase. Addition of xylanase and β-glucanase improved DM, CP, P, NDF, ADF, and hemicellulose digestibility, and ADG when compared to negative control. The results suggest that supplementing XYL, BGL, and XGL not only improved growth performance in pigs fed 30% CDDGS diet, but also altered the negative impact of CDDGS on nutrient digestibility. In second study, the first approach (Exp. 1) was based on formulating for total lysine in the diet and the second (Exp. 2), was based on balancing for standard ileal digestible (SID) lysine and maintaining a balanced amino acid pattern. In Exp 1, a total of 160 pigs were randomly assigned to one of four diets: 0% CDDGS, 10% CDDGS, 20% CDDGS, 30% CDDGS. In Exp 2, a total of 145 pigs were assigned to one of five diets: 0% CDDGS, 10% CDDGS, 20% CDDGS, 30% CDDGS, 37.5% CDDGS, and 45% CDDGS. In Exp 1, pigs fed the 20% CDDGS did not reduced ADG (398 g/d), and those fed the 30% CDDGS diet had significantly lower ADG (361 g/d, P<0.001) as compared to the 0% CDDGS (416 g/d). In Exp. 2, however, increasing CDDGS up to 45% had no detrimental effect in ADG or ADFI (P> 0.20) when diet had balance amino acid. Apparent total tract digestibility of protein, fiber, energy and phosphorus were also evaluated in both phase 2 and 3 of Exp 2. In contrast, phosphorus digestibility increased with increasing dietary CDDGS. The results indicate that high levels of CDDGS can be used in nursery diets and are well tolerated if the diets are formulated on a constant SID lysine basis with a balanced amino acid pattern.