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Effect of Antibacterial Agents on the Growth of Suckling Pigs¹

University of Minnesota, St. Paul

Abstract

One hundred and eleven litters, including 803 pigs, were used to study the values of chlortetracycline, bacitracin, penicillin, oxytetracycline and arsanilic acid as supplements to a simple creep mixture for suckling pigs. Most of the experiments included the period from 3 weeks to 8 weeks (age) of the pig's life. In addition, 207 fall pigs were used to study the value of bacitracin pellets (1000 units), implanted at 3 days of age into some pigs of each litter so that each litter served as its own control.

Oxytetracycline and bacitracin were used only in a single experiment at levels of 5 mg. per lb. of creep ration. The former was quite effective in increasing the gains of the pigs and in preventing scours in the pigs following vaccination for cholera, Bacitracin was only partially effective in controlling scours and did not affect the rate of gain of the pigs. For reasons discussed the data obtained with bacitracin in the creep ration are considered inconclusive.

Procaine penicillin was without effect on the pigs to which it was fed in the first experiment. These negative results are attributed to faulty management techniques. In a series of later experiments procaine penicillin at levels of 5, 10 or 20 mg. per lb. of feed increased live weight gains of pigs significantly and reduced the feed requirement per unit of net gain of the sows and their pigs. Penicillin was ineffective at a level of 2.5 mg. per lb. of feed.

In a final experiment in this series, chlortetracycline and procaine penicillin at levels of 5 mg. per lb. of feed, and arsanilic acid at a level of 30 mg. per lb. of feed produced statistically significant increases in weaning weights of the pigs in one trial. In a second trial effects on weaning weights were not significant. There was no significant difference between responses to the three drugs. As an average for both trials the antibacterial agents reduced the feed required per unit of net gain of sows and pigs 6 to 9%.

Under the conditions of the experiment the subcutaneous implantation of bacitracin pellets did not affect weaning weights or survival of the pigs to 8 weeks of age.

¹ Paper No. 3458. Scientific Journal Series of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station.

² This study was supported in part by grants and/or supplies from Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Illinois; Research Division, American Cyanamid Co., Pearl River, New York; Merck & Co., Rahway, New Jersey; Chas. Pfizer & Co., Brooklyn, New York; The Ray Ewing Co., Pasadena, California and Commercial Solvents Corporation, Terra Haute, Indiana. Acknowledgement is due Dr. S. N. Singh for statistical evaluation of the data and to Glen Swartz and associates who fed and cared for the pigs.