Replacing dietary antibiotics with 0.20% l-glutamine in swine nursery diets: impact on health and productivity of pigs following weaning and transport1,2,3.

ABSTRACT: Antibiotic use has been limited in U.S. swine production. Therefore, the objective was to determine whether supplementing l-glutamine at cost-effective levels can replace dietary antibiotics to improve piglet welfare and productivity following weaning and transport. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that withholding dietary antibiotics would negatively affect pigs while diet supplementation with 0.20% l-glutamine (GLN) would have similar effects on pig performance and health as antibiotics. Mixed sex piglets (N = 480; 5.62 ± 0.06 kg BW) were weaned (18.4 ± 0.2 d of age) and transported for 12 h in central Indiana, for 2 replicates, during the summer of 2016 and the spring of 2017. Pigs were blocked by BW and allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments (n = 10 pens/dietary treatment/rep

SUBMITTER: Duttlinger AW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6488329 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature