Effects of dietary spray-dried egg on growth performance and health of weaned pigs.

Four experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutrient contributions and physiological health benefits of spray-dried egg (SDE) containing only unfertilized eggs as a protein source in nursery pig diets. In all experiments, all diets were formulated to the same ME and Lys content, and each pen within a block (by BW) housed the same number of barrows and gilts. In Exp. 1 and 2 (168 and 140 pigs, respectively; 5 kg BW; 16 d old; 14 replicates/experiment), conducted at a university farm, treatments were with or without 5% SDE in a nursery control diet, which included antibiotics and zinc oxide. Pigs were fed for 10 d after weaning to measure ADG, ADFI, and G:F. The SDE increased (P < 0.05) ADG (Exp. 1: 243 vs. 204 g/d; Exp. 2: 204 vs. 181 g/d) and ADFI (Exp. 1: 236 vs. 204 g/d; Exp. 2: 263 vs. 253 g/d) compared with the control diet but did not affect G:F. In Exp. 3 (1,008 pigs; 5.2 kg BW; 20 d old; 12 replicates/treatment), conducted at a commercial farm, treatments were in a factorial arrangement of with or without SDE and high or low spray-dried plasma (SDP) in nursery diets, which included antibiotics and zinc oxide. Pigs were fed for 6 wk using a 4-phase feeding program (phases of 1, 1, 2, and 2 wk, respectively) with declining diet complexity to measure ADG, ADFI, G:F, removal rate (mortality plus morbidity), and frequency of medical treatments per pen and day (MED). The diets with the SDE increased (P < 0.05) ADFI during phase 1 only (180 vs. 164 g/d) compared with the diets without the SDE but did not affect growth performance during any other phases. The diets with SDE reduced MED during phase 1 (0.75% vs. 1.35%; P < 0.05) and the overall period (0.84% vs. 1.01%; P = 0.062) compared with the diets without the SDE but did not affect removal rate. In Exp. 4 (160 pigs; 6.7 kg BW; 21 d old; 10 replicates/treatment), conducted at a university farm to determine whether SDE can replace SDP, treatments were in a factorial arrangement of with or without SDP or SDE in nursery diets, which excluded antibiotics and zinc oxide. Pigs were fed for 6 wk using the same schedule used in Exp. 3 to measure ADG, ADFI, and G:F. The diets with SDE increased (P < 0.05) ADFI during phase 1 only (195 vs. 161 g/d) compared with the diets without SDE but did not affect growth performance during any other periods. In conclusion, SDE can be an efficacious protein and energy source in nursery pig diets and improves health and, in some instances, increases growth rate.