Evaluation of dietary effects of lactic acid supplementation on growth performance, and nutrient digestibility in weanling pigs

A total of 96 weanling pigs with an initial body weight of 5.96 ± 0.08 kg were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments and fed experimental weaning diets for 36 days in three phases; phase 1: day 1 to 7; phase 2: day 8 to 21, and phase 3: day 22 to 36. Treatments consisted of a basal diet (CON) containing 334.0 g/kg dried whey versus a lactic acid (LA) supplemented diet containing 313.6 g/kg dried whey with 10 g/kg LA during phase 1; a CON diet containing 200.0 g/kg dried whey versus an LA diet containing 186.0 g/kg dried whey with 7 g/kg LA during phase 2. During phase 3, both CON and LA groups were fed a diet without dried whey and LA. Pigs fed the LA diet had a higher average daily feed intake ADFI (p = 0.014) and reduced (p = 0.035) gain-feed ratio compared to pigs fed CON diet in phase 2. In phase 3, the average daily gain and feed intake were both increased (p = 0.026 and; p = 0.010, respectively) in the pigs previously fed the LA diet than those fed the CON diet. The apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter and, nitrogen, and the digestible energy were decreased (p < 0.05) in the LA diet group on day 7; however, increased (p < 0.05) digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen and digestible energy was observed at the end of phase 2 and 3. In conclusion, the inclusion of LA was inferred to have improved the average daily gain, feed intake, and nutrient digestibility during the late weanling period of pigs.