The present study was performed to investigate the effects of pre-and post-weaning feeding programs on growth of pigs. A total of 24 litters (avg. 10.6 piglets/litter) born from multiparous (Yorkshire × Landrace) dams × Duroc sires were provided with neither creep feed (CF) nor milk replacer ("CON"), 200 gm CF/litter/d from the 15th day of lactation ("MIN"), or CF and milk replacer ad libitum for 7 h during the daytime from the 7th day ("MAX") through weaning at d 21 of age. Sixty-eight weanling pigs selected randomly from each of CON and MIN were provided with phases 1, 2 and 3 nursery diets for 7, 14, and 13 days, respectively, in two pens; an equal number of piglets from MAX received the same diets for 6, 10, and 18 days, respectively. Subsequently, all pigs were fed grower 1 and 2 diets sequentially up to d 95 and 135, respectively. The entire pre-and post-weaning feeding trial was repeated three times under a split-plot design of experiment. Initial and final weights and ADG of the suckling pigs did not differ between MAX/MIN and CON. However, final wt of MAX adjusted for initial wt, which was 0.17-kg less in MAX than in CON, was greater than that of CON by 0.31kg, whereas the difference between MIN and CON in final wt barely changed after the adjustment. Growth of the animals during the nursery and growing phases was not affected by the feeding program, whereas d 55 and 135 BW, as well as d 6 BW, were highly correlated with weaning weight (r=0.81, 0.57, and 0.76; P<0.001, <0.05, and <0.001, respectively). In conclusion, results suggest that provision of creep feed and milk replacer from early lactation may be effective for increasing weight gain of light piglets, but that limited provision of creep feed during late lactation or extension of the duration of phases 1 and 2 vs. 3 nursery diets for several days is unlikely to influence the growth of pigs during the corresponding and subsequent periods.

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin E-polyethylene glycol complex (VE-PEG) in commercial broilers. Three hundred and thirty Ross broiler chickens, 4 days old, were randomly distributed and allotted to 5 dietary treatments for six weeks. The vitamin E (VE) levels in the 5 dietary treatments were, mg/kg: 1. 0 (negative control), 2. 200 α-tocopheryl acetate, 3. 10 VE-PEG, 4. 20 VE-PEG, and 5. 50 VE-PEG. Overall study showed that supplementation of VE has improved the weight gain at 20 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg VE-PEG and 200 mg/kg VE levels, over those fed 0 or 10 mg/kg VE-PEG, but the feed intake and feed conversion efficiency remained unaffected. Bone resistance was improved in all VE supplemented diets than control. Significantly (P<0.05) higher phosphorus content in bone was recorded at 50 mg/kg VE-PEG fed group. The carcass traits like dressing percentage, breast meat, abdominal fat and the meat colour did not differ significantly due to treatments. The serum levels of VE and its concentration in the muscle showed positive linear correlation with the levels supplemented. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (mg/kg) levels in meat also suggested that supplemental VE has a protective role in rancidity. The cytotoxic T cells (CD8) and B-lymphocyte cells were higher in 50 mg/kg VE-PEG fed group. VE did not affect the infectious bronchitiserase and Newcastle disease antibody titres. Overall, it can be concluded that VE at higher levels in both α-tocopheryl acetate and VE-PEG form was found beneficial for the growth, immunity and increased the chicken meat quality.

This research was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin C-polyethylene glycol complex (VC-PEG) in broiler chickens during heat stress. For a 6-week feeding trial, a total of 330 broiler chickens were allotted to five dietary treatments. The dietary vitamin C (VC) levels (treatments) were, mg/kg: 1. 0 VC (negative control), 2. 200 VC as ascorbate (positive control), 3. 10 VC-PEG, 4. 20 VC-PEG, and 5. 50 VC-PEG. At the end of the experiments nine chickens per treatment were sacrificed for the analyses of VC contents in blood and liver, and meat quality. During the starter period, chickens on negative control group (no VC added) grew slower (P<0.05) than others. During the overall period, chickens fed diets containing 20, 50 mg/kg VC-PEG, and 200 mg/kg ascorbate showed improved weight gain (P<0.05) than those fed 0 or 10 mg/kg VC-PEG. VC concentrations in plasma and liver were higher in chickens fed diets with vitamin C. Bone strength was also higher (linear, P=0.001) as dietary VC level was increased. There was no effect on lymphocyte sub-population. Antibody response to Newcastle disease and infectious bronchitis vaccination was higher in 20 mg/kg VC-PEG fed group as compared with other VC-PEG groups. In conclusion, VC supplementation was beneficial to broilers during heat stress.