Probiotic feed additives in pigs

Twenty (20) Large White weaners were selected and placed on a feeding trial so as to determine the effects of Direct-fed Microbials (DFM) in the starter diet on their growth performance and carcass characteristics. The weanlings were subjected to a twelve-week feeding trial conducted at the Swine Unit, Livestock Section of the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. The treatments were TO (control ie without DFM); T0.5 (0.5ml DFM/kg feed); T1.0 (1.0ml DFM/kg feed) and T1.5 (1.5ml DFM/kg feed). The DFM was mixed with the feed immediately before feeding the pigs every morning. The DFM did not seem to have a significant effect on growth performance and carcass characteristics. Further studies using higher doses of DFM and different microbials profiles should be conducted.