Spray dried plasma in diets for piglets weaned with 14 days of age

One hundred and twenty-eight pigs, averaging initial weight of 4.32 +/- 0.55 kg and weaned with 14 days of age, were allotted to a completely randomized experimental block design, composed by four treatments, eight replicates and four animals in each experimental unit, to evaluate the levels of inclusion of spray dried plasma (SDP) in diets for piglets, in three consecutive periods: from 14 to 28 (period 1); 29 to 35 (period 2) and 36 to 42 (period 3) days of age. The levels of inclusion of SDP were 0.0, 4.0, 6.0, and 8.0 for the period 1, 0.0, 2.8, 4.2, and 5.6% for the period 2 and 0.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0% for the period 3. From 43 to 56 days of age (period 4) all piglets were fed a diet without SDP. During period 1, daily feed intake (DFI) and daily weight gain (DWG) were linearly affected by the increase the levels of SDP, however, the Lineal Response Plateau model was that better fit the data, and was estimated 7.5% of SDP for ADFI and 6.6% for DWG. In the period 2, there was no influence of the SDP levels on performance characteristics. In period 3, there was effect of the SDP levels on the DWG, which linearly reduced as SDP levels increased. However, no treatment effect on DFI was observed. No residual treatment effect on DFI and DWG in period 4 was observed. The dietary SDP inclusion level of weaned piglets at 14 days of age is of 7.5% from 14 to 28 days.