LAURIC ACID BASED ADDITIVES ON WEANING PIGLETS

The study presented in the last 2019 ASAS-CSAS Annual Meeting held in Austin, evaluated the effect of two feed additives based on lauric acid (LA) on performance and fecal score in piglets. Piglets were distributed in four dietary treatments: CON-, without antibiotics; CON+, with Doxycycline; DIC, CON- plus DICOSAN® at 3kg/t and 1kg/tn in starter and grower diets; MON, CON- plus monolaurine at 2.1kg/t and 0.7kg/t in starter and grower diets. The dosage of both products was made at same level of LA (0.96kg LA/t starter and 0.32kg LA/t grower). At 38d, CON+ and DIC piglets had significantly lower FCR than CON- (1.534a, 1.353b, 1.380b and 1.526ab, for CON-, CON+, DIC and MON, P=0.021). At 66d, CON+ tended to have lower FCR than CON- (1.613x, 1.541y, 1.560xy and 1.605xy, CON-, CON+, DIC and MON, P=0.054). For the overall period, DIC and CON+ piglets had significantly lower FCR than CON- (1.603a, 1.514b, 1.537b and 1.589ab, CON-, CON+, DIC and MON, P=0.003), there was also a tendency to lower daily weight gain in MON compared with CON+ (443xy, 468y, 449xy and 440x g/d, CON-, CON+, DIC and MON, P=0.079). Finally, the fecal score showed higher values for DIC and CON+, meaning more consistent feces in the overall period (3.71a, 3.93b, 3.84b and 3.82ab, CON-, CON+, DIC and MON, P=0.001). DICOSAN® administered in feed at the same dosage of LA, achieved better results than monolaurine and CON- and without significant differences with CON+.