AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF IN-FEED INCLUSION OF A NATURAL ZEOLITE (CLINOPTILOLITE) ON HEALTH STATUS AND PERFORMANCE OF WEANED, GROWING AND FINISHING PIGS

摘要

During the last years, there is an increasing concern about the continuing use of antibiotics and antimicrobials as growth promoters and several products have been tested as alternatives, for their potential growth effect. Considerable evidence is available suggesting a beneficial effect of the in feed inclusion of zeolites on the growth of the animals, under some conditions (1,2,3). The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the dietary inclusion of clinoptilolite (CLI) on the health status and performance of weaners, growers and finishers, its compatibility with antimicrobials (AM) added in their feed, and the concentration of ammonia (NH_3) in the stables during their growth.