COMPARISON OF SALINOMYCIN AND CARBADOX AS GROWTH PROMOTERS FOR WEANLING PIGS

Abstract

Salinomycin (AHR-3096) is a new polyether antibiotic prepared from a strain of Streptomyces albus. Four pens each of four castrated male and four female swine were allocated to each of the following treatments from 8 to 34 kg liveweight: basal corn-soy diet; basal diet supplemented with carbadox at 55 mg/kg; basal diet supplemented with salinomycin at 25 mg/kg; basal diet supplemented with salinomycin at 50 mg/kg. Mean daily feed intakes were 1.12, 1.22, 1.14 and 1.19 kg (P < 0.05); mean adjusted daily gains were 546, 626, 580 and 602 g (P < 0.001); and mean feed conversion (feed:gain), ratios were 2.05, 1.95, 1.97 and 1.93 (P < 0.05), respectively. Both salinomycin and carbadox improved daily liveweight gain and reduced feed:gain ratio.