Growth performance and nutrient digestibility of weaned pigs fed corn–barley–soybean meal-based diets supplemented with a multi-enzyme blend

A study evaluated effects of supplementing a barley–corn–soybean meal-based diet with a multi-enzyme product on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of weaned pigs. A total of 122 pigs (initial body weight of 5.2 kg ± 0.98) were group-housed in 24 pens of 5–6 barrows or 6–7 gilts per pen. Pigs were fed two diets: basal diet without or with a multi-enzyme blend that supplied 4000 U of xylanase, 150 U of β-glucanase, 1000 U of amylase, and 500 U of protease per kilogram of diet. The diets were fed for 6 weeks in two phases: Phase 1 for the first 3 weeks and Phase 2 for the last 3 weeks. Growth performance was determined by phase, whereas apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients was determined at the end of the experiment. Multi-enzyme did not affect body weight gain, but improved ( P < 0.05) gain-to-feed ratio by 5.4% for the entire study period. Multi-enzyme increased ( P < 0.05) apparent total tract digestibility of gross energy, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber by 2.7%, 20.7%, and 41.9%, respectively. In conclusion, the test multi-enzyme product can improve feed efficiency of weaned pigs, likely through improved digestibility of dietary fiber components.