Enzyme supplementation and particle size of wheat in diets for nursery and finishing pigs.

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of enzyme supplementation and particle size of wheat-based diets on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in nursery and finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 180 weaned pigs (5.7 kg and 21 d of age) were fed diets in a 35-d growth assay without or with a Trichoderma longibrachiatium enzyme product (4,000 units of xylanase activity per gram of product) and with wheat ground to mean particle sizes of 1,300, 600, or 400 microm. Enzyme supplementation had no effect on ADG or gain/feed (P > 0.32), but there was a trend (P < 0.10) for greater digestibility of DM (d 6) in enzyme-supplemented diets. A particle size of 600 microm supported the greatest overall gain/feed (quadratic effect, P < 0.01). An interaction of enzyme supplementation with particle size occurred; gain/feed was improved (P < 0.01) with enzyme supplementation at the coarse (1,300 microm) particle size but not when the wheat was ground to 600 or 400 microm. In Exp. 2, 160 finishing pigs (67 kg) were fed a diet without or with the same enzyme used in Exp. 1 and wheat ground to 1,300 or 600 microm. No interactions occurred between enzyme supplementation and particle size of the wheat (P > 0.15). However, there were trends for greater gain/feed (P < 0.10) during the 67- to 93-kg phase of the experiment and for greater digestibility of DM (P < 0.10) and N (P < 0.07) with enzyme supplementation. When particle size was reduced from 1,300 to 600 microm, gain/feed was improved (P < 0.03) for the 93- to 114-kg phase of the growth assay, and digestibilities of DM (P < 0.02) and N (P < 0.04) were greater. In Exp. 3, 160 finishing pigs (63 kg) were given diets without or with the enzyme product and wheat ground to 600 or 400 microm. Enzyme supplementation improved ADG (P < 0.04) in the 90- to 115-kg phase but otherwise did not affect growth performance, carcass measurements, or stomach lesions. A particle size of 400 microm increased overall gain/feed (P < 0.04), digestibilities of DM and N (P < 0.01), and development of stomach lesions (P < 0.01). In conclusion, pigs did not benefit consistently from enzyme supplementation. However, wheat particle sizes of 600 and 400 microm supported the best overall performance in nursery and finishing pigs, respectively.