There are now clear indications that phytate anti-nutrient effects are also an issue in older pigs, according to a leading nutritionist.
“Recent years have seen substantial growth in the uptake of low phytate nutrition programmes for nursery pigs, but to date there hasn’t been the same interest for growers and finishers,” said AB Vista’s Swine Global Technical Manager, Dr Pete Wilcock. “However, much of that is due to the previous lack of research demonstrating performance gains from superdosing later in the pig’s life.”
Grower trials have now shown that each additional 500 FTU/kg of Quantum Blue phytase, added over and above the standard dose (500 FTU/kg), can improve average daily gain by as much as 21g/day and feed conversion ratio by more than two points, up to a maximum tested dose of 2000 FTU/kg.
“The main change has been the introduction of phytases developed specifically for superdosing, not just the release of phosphorus,” said Dr Wilcock. “Designed to target greater than 85% phytate destruction when applied at three to four times the standard dose, these latest generation E.coli phytases offer a clear opportunity for pig producers to further extend the value obtained from phytase feed enzymes.”