Impact of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Boulardii Supplementation on Nursery Pig Performance

Abstract Nine hundred newly-weaned pigs (PIC) with average body weight of 6.2 ± 0.1 kg were used in a 43d nursery study to evaluate the effect of a live yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii (Levucell SB Advantage, Elanco; LEV), on growth performance of nursery pigs. Each pen within a pen location-block was assigned to 1 of 3 treatments consisting of: 1) a control diet (CON) containing pharmacological levels of Zn (2,500 and 1,500 ppm in phase 1 and 2, respectively) and Cu (200 ppm for all phases), 2) CON with LEV at 0.1% (phase 1) and 0.05% (phase 2-3), and 3) CON but with 150 ppm Zn (phase 1-3) and 22 ppm Cu (phase 1-3). Feeding program consisted of a 3-phase feed budget (3, 6, 20 kg for phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), gain to feed (G:F), and end weight variation (EWV) were all analyzed using MIXED procedure in SAS using RCBD with treatment, pen location-block and initial BW as covariate. Dietary supplementation of nursery diets with LEV in the presence of high Zn and Cu increased final BW (P < 0.05, +1.3 kg), overall ADG (P < 0.05, +8%), and G:F (P< 0.05, +6%) compared with the control diet containing high Zn and Cu. There was no impact on other parameters (ADFI and EWV). Addition of LEV to low Zn and Cu diet supported the same level of performance (ADG, ADFI, G:F) as the control diet. The results of this study demonstrate growth performance enhancement when using Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii in nursery diets.