238 Boosting post-weaning performance of piglets and uniformity with yeast extract supplementation

Abstract The yeast extract, derived from 100% natural and pure Saccharomyces cerevisiae, boasts a high digestibility coefficient (> 95%). It is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, particularly aspartic and glutamic acids, and is noted for its exceptional palatability (Figure 1). This study aimed to assess the impact of dietary yeast extract supplementation on the performance of nursery-phase piglets. Mixed-sex piglets (n = 1,360) were allocated across 18 pens, with 75 animals per pen, and subjected to two treatments (9 replicates each) on a commercial farm in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The treatment groups included a positive control (PC) group, receiving a phase-specific standard diet, and a yeast extract (YE) group, supplemented with 1% yeast extract on top. Initially, all piglets were fed a commercial diet for the first 7 d (from 21 to 27 d old), followed by a farm-specific diet (PC and YE). The YE was administered as a liquid via an oil-injection system at the feed mill. Performance metrics evaluated included body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR), with feed intake (FI) being constant due to automated feeding. Data analysis employed ANOVA at a 90% confidence level, with mean differences assessed using the F-test. Piglets in the YE group demonstrated significantly greater BWG from wk 1 post-supplementation, maintaining statistical differences throughout the study (Table 1). The final BWG difference favored the YE group by 1.560 kg (PC = 15.106 kg; YE = 16.666 kg; P-value = 0.05). Notably, animal uniformity within each treatment was superior in the YE group, exhibiting a 49% reduction in variance across the study period compared with the PC group (Figure 2). This improvement in BWG was accompanied by enhanced batch uniformity relative to the PC group. FCR differences were statistically significant from wk 1 of supplementation, concluding with a final FCR of 1.49 for the PC group and 1.39 for the YE group (P-value = 0.02; Table 2). Given the fixed FI across phases, this FCR improvement primarily reflects the observed weight gain differences. These findings indicate that YE supplementation can enhance performance parameters and piglet uniformity in the nursery phase, offering nutritional benefits throughout this critical growth stage.