Weaned piglets prefer feed with hydroxychloride trace minerals to feed with sulfate minerals

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>The aim of this study was to determine whether newly weaned piglets had a preference for diets containing hydroxychloride trace minerals (HTM). To test this, two preference tests were set up. In Exp. 1, the piglets could choose between HTM or inorganic, originating from sulfate trace minerals (STM) in the form of sulfates. Two treatments were applied with high Cu levels (160 ppm Cu added) or low Cu levels (15 ppm Cu added). All diets contained 110 ppm added Zn from the same source as Cu in the respective diet. The pigs could choose between a diet with hydroxychloride Cu and Zn or with Cu and Zn originating from sulfates at the same mineral levels. The piglets were included in the study from weaning until 34 d after weaning. In Exp. 2, the piglets could also choose between HTM and STM. However, automated feeding stations were used to collect individual feed intake data. Similarly two treatments were applied, one with high Cu levels (160 ppm added Cu) and one with slightly lower Cu levels (140 ppm added Cu until 28 d after weaning, thereafter 15 ppm added Cu). All diets contained 110 ppm added Zn from the same source as Cu in the respective diet. The piglets were followed until 35 d after weaning. The current studies showed that when piglets were given a choice, they preferred diets with HTM. This effect resulted only in a significant (P &amp;lt; 0.05) preference for HTM at high dietary Cu levels (160 ppm) ranging from 76% to 81% in the first and second week of Exp. 1 to between 53.4% and 57.8% in the overall experiment period of Exp. 2. This preference was less pronounced at levels of 140 ppm added or less. Individual feed intake and gain measurements did not show any link between the preference and the performance.</jats:p>

Effects of varying sources of Cu, Zn, and Mn on mineral status and preferential intake of salt-based supplements by beef cows and calves and rainfall-induced metal loss

“…In that study, young calves preferentially consumed creep feed supplements containing concentrated amounts of Cu, Zn, and Mn from hydroxychloride sources vs. sulfate or organic sources. Corroborating our results, previous studies reported weaned pigs also displayed preferential intake of diets formulated with hydroxychloride vs. sulfate sources of Cu, but the preferential response was not as pronounced as the calf studies and decreased with increasing days of exposure to experimental diets ( Van Kuijk et al, 2019 ; Villagomez-Estrada et al, 2020 ). We hypothesized that the response observed in the current study was due to lesser solubility of the hydroxychloride forms of these metals, particularly compared with sulfate and organic alternatives.…”

Dietary Preference of Newly Weaned Pigs and Nutrient Interactions According to Copper Levels and Sources with Different Solubility Characteristics

“…Early studies with finishing pigs reported a higher preference for diets supplemented with Cu at 150 mg/kg as hydroxychloride (65% vs. 35%) than diets with Cu sulfate over 15 days [ 8 ]. Likewise, when weaned pigs were offered diets supplemented with Cu at 160 mg/kg as hydroxychloride or sulfate, a strong preference was observed for hydroxychloride compared to sulfate during the first two weeks post-weaning (76% vs. 24% and 81% vs. 19%, respectively) [ 31 ].…”