Effects Of Chinese Herbal Feedstuff Additives On Growth Performance And Diet Nutrients Digestibility In Piglets

The objective was evaluating the effects of Chinese herbal feedstuff additives and antibiotics on growth performance and digestibility of diet nutrients in piglets. The Chinese herbal additives were made of Black Sesame, Tangerine Peel, Shenqu, and so on. Seventy -two crossbred weaned piglets (Large Yorkshire ×Landrace) of 35 days old were assigned into 4 groups with 3 repetitions by weight and sex, every repletion had 6 piglets, then to carry on feeding trial . The four groups diets respectively were 0.005% roxarsone, 0.005% roxarsone and 0.6% Chinese herbal, 1.2% Chinese herbal additives or 1.8% Chinese herbal additives supplementation in the basal diet. The trial results were as follow:Growth performance: Average daily gain(ADG) of group II and III extremely were significantly (P<0.01) higher than that of control group, no significant effect(P>0.05) was observed between group I and control group, these three experiment groups increased respectively by 4.09%, 10.86% and 10.60%. Average daily feed intake(ADFI), ratio of feed and gain (F/G), and diarrhea frequency of all groups had no significantly difference(P>0.05), while effect of the three experiment groups were better than control group.Serum bio-chemical parameters: No significant effect existed in total protein(TP), albumin(ALB), globulin(GLO), urinary nitrogen(UN), triglyceride(TG), high density lipoprotein(HDL) , glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase(GPT) and four-thyroid hormone(FT₄) of serum in piglets of all groups (P>0.05), while these parameters of three experiment groups are better than those of control group. Serum and cholesterol (CHO), low density lipoprotein(LDL), alkalinephosphatase(ALK), growth hormone(GH) and three- thyroid hormone(FT3) were significantly different in piglets of experiment group II and III to compare with control group (P<0.05) , but not so as experiment group I and control group.Diet nutrients digestibility: Diet total energy, ether extract and crude protein digestibility of experiment group II and Illwere significantly higher than those of control group. The three experiment groups compared with control group, diet total energy digestibility increased respectively by 1.21%, 2.73%and 2.67%; Ether extract digestibility advanced respectively by 1.84%, 7.06%and 6.35%; Crude protein digestibility improved respectively by 1.97%, 5.76%and 5.32%. But diet crude fiber digestibility had no significantly difference in all groups (P>0.05), effect of the three experiment groups were better than control group.All above the results indicated, feeding piglets diet with differ dosage Chinese herbal additives could improve piglets serum parameters and diet nutrients digestibility, and promote piglets to grow fast. The best dosage of Chinese herbal additives adding to feedstuff was 1.2%.