Table 1.
Composition of basal diets (as fed basis, %)a.
| Period (days) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ingredients (%) | Starter (0–14) Crumble | Grower (15–28) Pellet | Finisher (29–42) Pellet |
| Corn (7.81% CP) | 59.53 | 64.12 | 65.70 |
| Soybean meal (48% CP) | 33.5 | 28.80 | 26.86 |
| Soybean oil (9,000 kcal/kg) | 2.18 | 2.60 | 3.50 |
| Dicalcium phosphate (18.5% P, 22% Ca) | 2.05 | 1.92 | 1.70 |
| Calcium carbonate (37% calcium) | 1.11 | 1.00 | 0.90 |
| Sodium chloride | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.30 |
| Sodium bicarbonate | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.05 |
| DL-Methionine (990 g/kg)b | 0.38 | 0.34 | 0.29 |
| L-Lysine HCl (788 g L-Lysine/kg)c | 0.37 | 0.35 | 0.24 |
| L-Threonine (985 g/kg)d | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.10 |
| Vitamin/Trace Mineral Premixe | 0.36 | 0.36 | 0.36 |
| Calculated analysis (% unless specified) | |||
| ME (kcal/kg) | 3,007 | 3,087 | 3,168 |
| Crude protein | 21.81 | 19.90 | 18.94 |
| Total phosphorus | 0.76 | 0.71 | 0.66 |
| Available phosphorus | 0.45 | 0.42 | 0.38 |
| Calcium | 0.90 | 0.84 | 0.76 |
| Chloride | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.29 |
| Sodium | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.15 |
| Potassium | 0.85 | 0.77 | 0.73 |
| Methionine | 0.67 | 0.61 | 0.55 |
| Methionine + Cysteine | 0.98 | 0.89 | 0.82 |
| Lysine | 1.32 | 1.19 | 1.05 |
| Threonine | 0.86 | 0.78 | 0.71 |
| Linoleic acid | 1.44 | 1.52 | 1.55 |
| Dietary cation-anion balance | 194 | 174 | 170 |
Treatments include: NC (negative control): corn-soybean meal basal diet; PC (positive control): NC + 20 g virginiamycin (453 g Stafac®20)/ton diet; PROB (Probiotic): NC + B. licheniformis spores at the level of 227 g/ton diet; PPEO (probiotic/prebiotic/essential oil supplement): NC + B. licheniformis spores, mannan-oligosaccharides and β-glucans (1,3 and 1,6), capsaicin from chili peppers and curcuma from turmeric. These additives were added on top to the basal diet to provide the three experimental diets besides the NC diet in every feeding period.
Rhodimet® NP9, ADISSEO, GA, USA.
L-Lysine HCl, AJINOMOTO HEARTLAND, INC. Eddyville, IA, USA.
FENCHEM Ingredient Technology, Nanjing, China.
Vitamins supplied per kg diet: retinol 3.33 mg, cholecalciferol 0.1 mg, α-tocopherol acetate 23.4 mg, vitamin K3 1.2 mg, vitamin B1 1.6 mg, vitamin B2 9.5 mg, niacin 40 mg, pantothenic acid 9.5 mg, vitamin B6 2 mg, folic acid 1 mg, vitamin B12 0.016 mg, biotin 0.05 mg, choline 556 mg. Minerals supplied per kg diet: Mn 144 mg, Fe 72 mg, Zn 144 mg, Cu 16.2 mg, I 2.1 mg, Se 0.22 mg.