1. Yan Martel Kennesa, Janie Lévesquea and Caroline Decauxb
Effect of crystalline silicon dioxide in piglet feed on growth performance with different levels of growth promoters
Yan Martel Kennesa, Janie Lévesquea and Caroline Decauxb
aCentre de recherche en sciences animales de Deschambault, Deschambault, Quebec, Canada, bCeresco Nutrition, St-Urbain-Premier, Quebec, Canada
ABSTRACT #16458
METHODS
Silicon dioxide is a common mineral that could be found under different forms (crystalline or amorphous) and also found in many clays and diatomaceous earth. The purpose of this trial was to assess, in a factorial 2X2 arrangement, growth performance of piglets reared with a feeding program including, or not, a crystalline silica-based feed supplement (SI) with, or without, antibiotic as growth promoters (AGP; chlortetracycline and high levels of Cu and Zn in Phase 1 and chlortetracycline in Phase 2). All diets were formulated to be iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous. An ANOVA was performed on zootechnical parameters with the pen as the experimental unit for all analyses. Effects of AGP, SI, block (based on sex and body weight) and interaction between AGP and SI were included in the statistical model. A total of two hundred fifty-two (252) piglets with a body weight of 7 kg, were reared until 24 kg of body weight and allocated into thirty-six (36) pens. According to these results, groups fed with AGP has shown improved weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion during Phase 1, while no significant effect was observed during the phase 2. Concerning the effect of SI, feed intake was improved by 4,13% during the overall nursery period, compared to groups without SI (729 versus 700 g/day; P<0,05). In addition, groups fed SI showed an average daily gain of 3,26% higher than animals without SI during the same phase (607 versus 588 g/day; P<0,05). This effect leads to an improvement of 2,2% in piglet’s weight at the end of the post-weaning phase (24,52 versus 23,99 kg; P<0,05). It was concluded that, under our trial conditions, adding crystalline silicon dioxide to piglet feed (0,02%) increase feed intake, growth rate and piglet weight at the end of the nursery period. This mineral additive could offer potential economic benefits to swine producers.
252 piglets Yorkshire x Landrace x Duroc cross-breeds (male and female) weaned at 21 days old were used.
36 pens of 7 piglets (0.26 m2/piglet).
Feeding program :
Treatment design was a 2X2 factorial arrangement :
Treatment 1 :No antibiotic as growth promoter (no AGF) and no silica (SI) with low levels of copper (Cu; 125 ppm) and zinc (Zn; 200 ppm);
Treatment 2 :No SI, AGF (110 g/T of Aureomycin 220 and high levels of Cu (250 ppm) and Zn (2500 ppm) during phase 1;
Treatment 3 :No AGP, low levels of Cu and Zn and SI (200 g/T of Silica+);
Treatment 4 :AGF, SI and high levels of Cu et Zn during phase 1.
Measurements :
Piglet weight at d0, d17 and d28 post-weaning (PW);
Feed disappearance during phase 1 and 2;
Water intake during phase 1 and 2.
Feeding Phase
Section
Weight, kg
Period in days 1 PW
7-15 17 2
15-25 11
INTRODUCTION
Silicon is a mineral found in the earth’s crust that has not been found to be essential in pigs; it may be involved in bone metabolism, however, and is found in collagen to link chondroitin sulfate molecules together
Tran et al. (2015) have observed improvement of turkey performance including BW gain and the efficiency of feed conversion, reduced litter pH, and increased adsorbed NH4+ in turkey litter when silica-based supplement is incorporated in feeds.
Silica+ is an entirely natural micronized silica powder product essentially composed of silica, or silicon dioxide (SiO2). Micronized silica powder (particles: maximum 40 µm in size) is submitted to a specific treatment where the mineral is informed.
The objective of this trial was to assess growth performance of piglets reared with a feeding program including, or not, a crystalline silica-based feed supplement (SI) with, or without, antibiotic as growth promoters (AGP).
ANOVA was performed on zootechnical parameters with the pen as the experimental unit for all analyses. Effects of AGP, SI, block (based on sex and initial body weight) and interaction between AGP and Si were included in the statistical model and statistical analyses were performed with the R software (R Core Team, 2012).

2. Effect of crystalline silicon dioxide in piglet feed on growth performance with different levels of growth promoters
Yan Martel Kennesa, Janie Lévesquea and Caroline Decauxb
aCentre de recherche en sciences animales de Deschambault, Deschambault, Quebec, Canada, bCeresco Nutrition, St-Urbain-Premier, Quebec, Canada
RESULTS
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATION
During this trial, SI improved
ADG by 3.26% throughout the post-weaning period (P<0.05);
ADFI by 4.13% throughout the post- weaning period (P<0.05);
piglet weight at the end of the post-weaning period (d28 PW) by 2.2% (P<0.05).
During this trial, AGP during phase 1 and 2 and high levels of Cu/Zn during phase 1 improved
FC in phase 1 by 6.1% (P<0.05);
ADG in phase 1 by 6.9% (P<0.05);
ADFI in phase 1 by 4.3% (P<0.05);
piglet weight at the end of the phase 1 (d17 PW) by 3.3% (P<0.05).
This mineral additive could offer potential economic benefits to swine producers.
More research is needed to understand how this silica-based additive works.
REFERENCES
R Core Team (2012). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. ISBN , URL
Tran S. T., Bowman M. E. and T. K. Smith, 2015, Effects of a silica-based feed supplement on performance, health, and litter quality of growing turkeys, Poultry Science, 94:1902–1908