Growth performance, gut microbial profile and carcass characteristics of growing pigs fed diets containing three differing (RE3, RE3 PLUS and P3) DFM products

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2014
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Abstract
A twenty-two week feeding trial was conducted at the Livestock Section of the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, KNUST, Kumasi. This study sought to investigate the effects of three (3) differing Direct-fed microbial (DFM) products on growth performance, gut microbial profile and carcass characteristics of growing pigs. Twenty Large White pigs (12 females and 8 males) with an average initial weight of 9.4 kg were allocated to four dietary treatments labeled: T1 (Control), T2 (1ml RE3TM per kg feed), T3 (1ml RE3 PLUS per kg feed) and T4 (1ml RE3TM + 0.5ml P3 per kg feed) in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 5 replicates per treatment. All the pigs were given access to feed and water ad libitum. There were 2 phases in this experiment. A starter phase where pigs were offered a 23% CP diet until they attained body weight of 20 ± 0.5 kg and a grower-finisher phase where pigs were fed an 18% CP diet until they attained a body weight of 70 ± 0.5 kg. Weighing was done weekly. Faecal samples were taken from all the pigs during the course of the experiment. After any individual pig attained a targeted bodyweight of 70 ± 0.5 kg, it was slaughtered. Blood samples were then taken and fresh carcass parameters were taken. Carcasses were chilled in a cold room (4°C) for 24 hours after which chilled carcass parameters were taken. It was therefore concluded that the addition of the differing DFM products did not seem to influence growth performance, gut microbial composition and carcass characteristics of growing pigs
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Animal Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fufilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Animal Nutrition)
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