Effect of different dietary concentrations of spray-dried porcine plasma and a modified soyprotein product on the growth performance of piglets weaned at 6 kg body weight

A total of 180 weaned pigs (initially 6.2 kg body weight and 22 days of age), and divided into three treatment groups, was used to determine if it is possible to substitute, partially or totally, spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) for a modified soyprotein product (MSP) (550 g kg−1 crude protein) from 0 to 14 days post-weaning. From 0 to 14 days after weaning, pigs were fed with iso-proteic, and iso-energetic feeds, containing 60 g kg−1, 30 g kg−1 or 0 g kg−1 SDPP and 0 g kg−1, 50 g kg−1 or 100 g kg−1 modified soyprotein, respectively. All pigs were fed a common starter feed, (containing 11.9 g kg−1 lysine) from 15 to 40 days post-weaning. Pigs fed 60 g kg−1 SDPP gained weight faster (from 0 to 14 days on trial) than pigs in other treatment groups (P<0.01). Pigs fed 30 g kg−1 SDPP grew faster than pigs fed 100 g kg−1 modified soyprotein (P<0.05). Pigs fed SDPP from 0 to 14 days on trial had a better average weight gain (P<0.05) for the entire trial period (0 to 40 days). From 0 to 7 days, pigs fed diets containing 60 g kg−1 SDPP ate more than pigs in the other two treatment groups (P<0.01), and pigs fed 30 g kg−1 SDPP ate more than those given the diet with 100 g kg−1 modified soyprotein (P<0.05). From 8 to 14 days on trial, pigs fed the diet containing 60 g kg−1 SDPP ate more than pigs in the other treatments (P<0.01) and no differences were observed between the other two treatments. Pigs which had been fed SDPP in the pre-starter period had better feed intake (P<0.05), and had the best feed efficiency (P<0.01) from 0 to 40 days on trial. Analysis of productive parameters indicated that SDPP had a positive effect on growth performance with respect to modified soybean meal but that partial replacement of SDPP with modified soybean offers an economic advantage.