High levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) can be added to the diets of nursery pigs to reduce diarrhea after weaning and support healthy growth. However, concerns about its environmental impact have led to alternative diet formulation approaches. One strategy focuses on lowering crude protein (CP) levels in diets with low acid-binding capacity at pH 4 (ABC-4; <200 mEq/kg in Phase 1 and <250 mEq/kg in Phase 2), reflecting a reduced dietary buffering capacity to support gastric acidification in weaned pigs to improve gut health and pig performance without relying on high ZnO levels. This study explored whether a potentiated form of ZnO (pZnO) could replace high levels of feed-grade ZnO in low ABC-4 diets while maintaining pig growth and gut health. Our findings showed that increasing levels of pZnO supported the growth performance of piglets similar to those that were fed high ZnO diets. Additionally, reducing CP levels improved the consistency of pig feces, indicating better gut health, although it slightly reduced feed efficiency throughout the trial. These results suggest that pZnO is a promising strategy to balance animal performance, gut health, and environmental concerns.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.