Evaluating the Effects of Replacing Feed Grade Antibiotics with Yeast, Cinnamon, or Zinc Oxide and Copper Sulfate on Nursery Pig Performance

A total of 288 weaned pigs (Line 200 × 400; DNA, Columbus, NE; initially 11.8 lb) were used in a 42-d study to compare the effects of feeding antibiotic alternatives (pharmacological trace minerals, copper and zinc, yeast, or essential oils), alone or in combination, on nursery pig performance in replacement to a common antimicrobial agent (carbadox, Mecadox®, Phibro Animal Health, Teaneck, NJ). Pigs were allotted to 1 of 9 dietary treatments in pens of 4 at weaning in a randomized complete block design with 8 replications per treatment. Dietary treatments were arranged with a negative control diet with no medication or other feed additive, a positive control with added carbadox, or 7 treatments including added copper sulfate (CuSO4; 0 vs. 125 ppm Cu) and added zinc oxide (ZnO; 0 vs. 3,000 ppm Zn from d 0 to 7 and 2,000 ppm Zn from d 7 to 28), essential oils from XTRACT 6930 (Capsicum oleoresin 2%, carvacrol 5%, cinnamaldehyde 3%, Pancosma North America, Drumondville, Quebec, Canada) at 2 lb/ton, Safmannan A (Yeast cell walls, Lesaffre Yeast Corporation, Milwaukee, WI) at 0.5 lb/ton, and Actisaf HR (yeast cells, Lesaffre Yeast Corporation, Milwaukee, WI) at 1.5 lb/ton. These supplements were fed alone or in combination. From d 0 to 7 experimental diets were a pelleted ration; and fed in a meal form from d 7 to 28, followed by a common corn-soybean meal-based diet without any antimicrobial, pharmacological trace minerals, essential oils, or yeast from d 28 to 42. Essential oils and yeast had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on ADG. Feeding carbadox or pharmacological trace minerals (Cu and Zn) improved ADG (P < 0.05) of nursery pigs compared to the non-medicated control diet. Carryover effects from any of these dietary treatments on subsequent growth performance were not significantly different (P > 0.05). The use of pharmacological trace minerals Cu and Zn alone or in conjunction with either yeast or essential oil allows for competitive ADG and F/G with an antimicrobial agent, like carbadox. In summary, ...