Effects of protease supplementation on growth performance, blood constituents, and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs

• Main Authors: Yejin Min, Yohan Choi, Younghwa Kim, Yongdae Jeong, Doowan Kim, Joeun Kim, Hyunjung Jung, Minho Song
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society of Animal Sciences and Technology 2019-07-01
• Series: Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• Subjects: blood constituents; carcass characteristics; growing-finishing pigs; growth performance; protease
• Online Access: http://www.ejast.org/archive/view_article?pid=jast-61-4-234
• ISSN: 2672-0191; 2055-0391

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary protease on growth performance, blood constituents, and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 48 growing pigs (initial body weight, 34.8 ± 0.62 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments (6 pigs/pen; 4 replicates/treatment). The treatments were a diet based on corn and soybean meal (CON) and CON supplemented with 0.01 % of protease (PRO). Pigs were fed respective dietary treatments with a 2-phase feeding program for 12 weeks. Pigs fed PRO had higher average daily gain (ADG; phase I, 866.38 vs. 821.75 g/d; overall, 910.96 vs. 866.30 g/d; p < 0.05) and gain to feed ratio (G:F; phase I, 0.345 vs. 0.363 g/g; p < 0.05) than those fed CON. However, there were no differences on blood constituents and carcass characteristics between CON and PRO of growing-finishing pigs. In conclusion, dietary protease supplementation in the typical diet for growing-finishing pigs improved growth rate.