Purina reformulates early nursery feeds with new intake-enhancing compound, adds diets formulated without antibiotics and animal byproducts as an option.

January 30, 2018

4 Min Read
Reformulated UltraCare nursery feeds enhance feed intake

To support feed intake and better pig performance at a lower price, Purina Animal Nutrition has reformulated UltraCare nursery feeds. The company also has added swine nursery feeds formulated without antibiotics or animal byproducts as an option to the UltraCare feeds line, which is part of the wean-to-finish Progress to Profit Program.

“Purina has been listening to you and has been proactively working to identify and solve problems before you have them,” says Dan Moran, Purina Animal Nutrition senior director of swine feed marketing. “Our research shows end-of-nursery weights are the best predictor of finishing weights. We have worked to further develop nutrition to support nursery performance so you can get the best possible return on your investment.”

Breakthrough intake driver
The first step to a successful weaning transition is encouraging feed and water intake as soon as pigs enter the nursery. Purina’s new product development team created a blend of complex compounds to enhance feed intake in early nursery pigs. The blend, which took more than a year to develop, imitates a specific aromatic compound proven to drive feeding behavior.

In a research study comparing the new intake-enhancing technology to the previous formula, pigs ate twice as much of the feed with the new palatant. The total average daily feed intake of the group was 0.47 pound. Separated by diet, results show the pigs ate:
• 0.14 pound of feed with the previous palatant
• 0.34 pound of feed with the new palatant

“The senses of smell and taste are important to a young pig,” says Dari Brown, Ph.D., Purina Animal Nutrition senior director of technical solutions. “When feed is formulated with high-quality ingredients containing specialized palatants or compounds, pigs seek and consume feed more often and more aggressively, leading to optimal gut development and performance through finishing.”

Improved performance
To capitalize on the benefits of enhanced intake, the new UltraCare feed formulation includes new ingredients that support better pig performance at a lower price point than previous UltraCare nursery feeds.

Research and field trials comparing performance between pigs fed the new and previous formulas showed the new formula supported:
• 4.1% improvement in average daily gain and
• 3.9% improvement in ADFI in Days zero to 14

The benefits continued throughout the nursery. Data show the new formula supported:
• 4.5% better ADG and
• 4.3% better ADFI overall from Days zero to 42

Data also show pigs on the new formula had:
• 1-pound weight advantage at Day 21 and
• 2-pound advantage at Day 42 post-weaning

“Getting the right nutrition in the nursery phase does more than support nursery performance,” says Brown. “The right nutrition in early nursery supports optimal gut development for efficient nutrient digestion and robust immunity through finishing.”

Formula without antibiotics or animal byproducts
The new UltraCare Non-Antibiotic and Non-Animal Byproduct swine nursery feeds contain the same intake-enhancing and gut-optimizing technologies as other UltraCare pre-starters and starters. The products are formulated to support the best performance possible without the use of antibiotics and animal byproducts.

Research shows pigs fed UltraCare NAB/NABP nursery program in Days zero to 42 post-weaning experienced:
• 1.02 pounds ADG
• 1.36 pounds ADFI
• Feed:gain of 1.34 pounds

It contains new, exclusive ingredients including:
• Botanicals
• Powerformance, a proprietary enzyme that supports enhanced nutrient digestion
• VitaFibra, a source of natural infermentable fiber and soluble fiber to support a healthy gut environment

“With feed, no one single ingredient can meet all your farm’s needs and goals,” Moran says. “It takes a comprehensive, research-based approach to find the right combination of ingredients and compounds that work together to maximize performance. The reformulated UltraCare nursery feeds have the potential to give you better performance than you thought possible for less money than you expected.”

Visit Progress to Profit Program to see how this programmatic approach can impact performance and return on investment potential.

Purina Animal Nutrition LLC is a national organization serving producers, animal owners and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers and other large retailers throughout the United States. The company is an industry-leading innovator offering a valued portfolio of complete feeds, supplements, premixes, ingredients and specialty technologies for the livestock and lifestyle animal markets. Purina Animal Nutrition LLC is headquartered in Shoreview, Minn., and a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O’Lakes Inc.

Source: Purina Animal Nutrition

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