Four trials using 312 weanling pigs (average initial wt
of 7.2 kg) were conducted to examine the effectiveness of
Bifidobacterium globsum a (BGA) on the growth performance,
scour scores, humoral and cell-mediated immune response and
pH and chloride ion concentration (CIC) of feces and
gastrointestinal section contents. The effect of continuous
feeding of BGA from weaning to market weight on performance
and carcass characteristics was evaluated using pigs from
Trial 3 (n=80). Dietary treatments were 0, 5.0 x 104 , 6.7 x
106 and 7.5 x 108 colony forming units (CFU)/d in Trial 1
and 0, 6.0 x 104 , 5.0 x 105 and 5.0 x 106 CFU/d in Trials 2
through 4 and the grower-finisher trial. In Trial 1, ADG
was effected quadratically at wk 1-2 and 1-5 (P < .05) and
wk 3-5 (P < .01) with pigs fed the medium (6.7 x 106 ) BGA
level having higher ADG than control pigs. Quadratic diet
effects were also observed for average daily feed intake
(ADFI) at wk 1-2, 1-5 (P < .10) and 3-5 (P < .05) with pigs
fed the medium level of BGA having greater ADFI than control.
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