ISSUE FOCUS 46 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2025 220 mEq HCI/kg 480 460 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 300 Phase 2 (d15-28), ADG and ADFI, g/day linear, P<0.05 ADG & ADFI 280 mEq HCI/kg ADG, g/d ADFI, g/d 340 mEq HCI/kg 400 mEq HCI/kg alternative to pharmacological levels of ZnO. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of these diets on the production performance and fecal consistency of weanling piglets. The results were clear: increasing PZnO improved average daily gain and feed intake across the trial, while feed efficiency was particularly improved in phase 1. Importantly, piglets receiving either PZnO or high ZnO showed firm fecal consistency, with dry matter content above 26%, indicating good gut stability (Figure 2). These results demonstrate that lower doses of PZnO, even at European Union regulated inclusions, can achieve the same positive outcomes as pharmacological ZnO, in terms of feed intake, growth rate, feed efficiency, and diarrhea control, while managing diets within the optimal ABC-4 range of ~250 mEq HCl/kg. To validate findings under commercial-like conditions, a complementary trial was conducted in Spain to further explore the effects of ABC-4 on piglet performance, and combining PZnO at EU-regulated level of 150 ppm, with the same range of dietary ABC-4 levels: 180/220, 253/280, 327/340, and 400/400 mEq HCl/kg (Phase 1/ Phase 2, mEq HCl/kg). Together with PZnO supplementation at an EU level, growth data revealed a clear linear effect of ABC-4 on piglet performance (Figure 3). Body weights and average daily gain (ADG) declined progressively as ABC-4 increased, with piglets on the lowest ABC-4 consistently gaining more weight compared with those fed high-buffering diets. Interestingly, feed intake (ADFI) showed the same pattern during Phase 2, with piglets consuming less feed as dietary ABC-4 ADG, g/day 295 ab ab b b ab ab a a 343 26.5 Positive Control PZnO 150/150 PZnO 500/300 PZnO 800/500 27.3 26.9 27.5 274 325 284 331 308 357 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 ADFI, g/day Fecal DM, % Figure 2. Production performance and fecal consistency of post-weaning piglets at day 24 (P-value < 0.05) Figure 3. Production performance of postweaning piglets with PZnO at 150ppm and increasing ABC4 values at day 28 (linear, P-value < 0.05)
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