Trace minerals are added to commercial pig diets because their availability in conventional plant-based feed ingredients is typically low. Levels supplemented are sometimes far in excess of NRC recommendations. Reducing supplementation may improve environmental sustainability by reducing trace mineral waste. This study investigated whether a consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant (PhyG) phytase could replace the effect of supplemental zinc, copper, iron, and manganese on growth performance and tissue trace mineral concentrations in weaned pigs when added to an all-vegetable diet. The PhyG phytase at 1,500 phytase units (FTU) per kilogram of diet in the starter I phase and at 1,000 FTU/kg in the starter II phase, maintained growth performance and bone trace mineral concentrations at levels not different from those achieved by supplementation of zinc, copper, iron, and manganese at 120, 80, 96, and 80 mg per kilogram of diet over a 42 d period. The findings suggest that PhyG phytase could replace supplemental Zn in weaned pig diets, and may also support a reduction in the level of supplemental copper, iron and manganese depending on their levels in the basal diet, without adversely affecting growth performance or trace mineral accumulation in tissues.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.