SPRAY DRIED PLASMA: A SAFE AND VITAL FEED INGREDIENT FOR NURSERY PIGS
J.D. Crenshaw, J. Polo, and J.M. Campbell
APC Inc., Ankeny, IA USA
Introduction
Spray dried plasma protein is produced from the blood of clinically healthy animals collected from
abattoirs approved to produce meat for human consumption. Plasma is separated from blood cells and
spray-dried to produce a biologically safe dry product. Recent and past research shows that spray dried
blood products are safe high quality proteins sources for use in feed for swine[1-11].
For over 25 years spray dried plasma has been used in pig starter diets because the nutrition it provides
has beneficial effects on feed intake, growth, feed efficiency, morbidity indices, and survival of pigs
during thestressful post-weaning phase of production[12-14].Recent research shows that the nutrition
provided by spray dried plasma in starter diets has long lasting effects on the pig’s ability to withstand
stress later in life; even after spray dried plasma is removed from feed [15-17 ]. However appropriate
diet formulation using adequate dietary levels of spray dried plasma along with adherence to guidelines
for the feed budget or feeding duration of the starter diet must be followed to assure that these long
lasting effectscan be realized.
Reasons to Use Spray Dried Plasma in Starter Diets
Weaning of pigs causes multiple stressors including dietary changes, co-mingling of pigs, behavioral
stress, pathogen exposure, and environmental changes. Regardless of the age of the pig at weaning, the
stress of weaning induces intestinal inflammation for up to14 days after weaning [15,18].In fact,
inflammation and intestinal damage associated with weaning stress can further reduce feed intake
taking up to 2 weeks after weaning for the feed intake and growth to be restored [19].Metabolizable
energy intake of a weaned pig during the initial days after weaning is typically 60-70% that of a pig
nursing a sow [20] and if not rapidly corrected can result in prolonged post-weaning growth lag which
can have longer term negative effects on productivity to market weight [21]. Thus the challenge for a
nutritionist is to provide a highly palatable, digestible feed, especially during the initial 2 to 4 weeks after
weaning, to minimize the negative effects of post-weaning intestinal inflammation.
Spray dried plasma is a superior protein source for use in pig starter diets compared to other protein
sources and is highly digestible [22]. In a literature review [14] of published experiments comparing
starter diets formulated with spray dried plasma compared to other protein sources derived from
animal, marine, milk, wheat gluten, potato or soya based proteins sources, there was a consistent and
significant improvement in feed intake and growth of pigs fed spray dried plasma. Other separate
reviews of published research involving over 100 experiments report that pigs fed starter diets
containing spray dried plasma for 14 days afterweaning compared to other protein sources had on
average more than a 20% improvement in daily gain and feed intake [12,13]. Pig growth and feed intake
response increases linearly with increasing inclusion level (0 to 10%) of spray dried plasma in diets[23].In
addition,several studies have noted improved productivity and survival of swine fed the nutrition
provided by spray dried plasma in diets or in drinking water during experimental or natural challenge
with various pathogens [24].
The scientific evidence is clear that starter diets formulated for appropriate nutrient content with an
adequate inclusion level of spray dried plasma and fed according to the established guidelines will help
weaned pigs thrive and transition the stressful post-weaning period.
Long term effects from feeding diets with spray dried plasma
As discussed above feeding starter diets containing spray dried plasma have immediate beneficial
effects on post-weaning growth and feed intake and much of these effects have been attributed to the
enhanced nutrition provided by spray dried plasma that supports and maintains the intestinalsystem
and also the respiratoryand reproductivesystems as well [24].
The percentage of spray dried plasma (5%) used in the feed, as well as, feeding duration of diets
containing spray dried plasma after weaning (14 d) provide nutrition that favorably impacts the
resilience of pigs to withstand subsequent stresses such as transport and Salmonella challenge during
movement from the nursery to the finisher [15, 16]. In the Salmonella challenge study [16], a diet with
2.5% spray diet plasma was fed for 7 days after weaning (21 d of age) or a diet with 5% spray dried
plasma was fed for the initial 14 days after weaning, then pigs were fed common diets without spray
dried plasma. At day 32 of the study (50 d of age), pigs were subjected to mixing and transport stress
and challenged with Salmonella typhimurium. Two days after challenge intestinal permeability was
measured and results indicated that pigs previously fed the diet with 5% spray dried plasma for 14 days
after weaning did not exhibit increased intestinal permeability in response to Salmonella challenge and
were similar to non-challenge control pigs, whereas pigs subjected to the stress and fed a control diet or
the diet with 2.5% spray dried plasma for only 7 days after weaning had increased intestinal
permeability. These results emphasize the importance of using appropriate level of dietary spray dried
plasma (5%) and feeding duration after weaning (14 days). Furthermore these results show that dietary
supplementation with 5% spray dried plasma in a diet fed for the initial 14 days after weaning provided
adequate nutrition to enable pigs to better withstand a subsequent enteric challenge later in life, even
after spray dried plasma was no longer included in the feed.
Weaning and mycotoxin stress
Various mycotoxins in feed grains are known to reduce performance of pigs and cause damage to the
intestine. Two recent studies have been done to determine if the nutrition provided by diets
supplemented with spray dried plasma (SDP) could reduce the negative effects of mycotoxins [25, 26].
Weaned pigs provided diets containing 8% SDP and wheat contaminated with 3.9 ppm Deoxynivalenol
(DON) had the same growth rate as pigs fed diets without DON and had improved growth compared to
pigs fed diets without SDP but containing wheat contaminated with 3.9 ppm DON [25]. In the other
study [26] pigs were fed diets containing 0 or 6% SDP but without mycotoxin contaminated corn for 12
days after weaning (period 1). For the next 3 weeks, pigs that had previously been fed diets containing 6%
SDP were fed diets that contained corn naturally contaminated with 180 ppb aflatoxin and 9 ppm
fumonisin and either 0, 3 or 6% SDP (period 2). Pigs that had previously been fed the diet with 0% SDP
were subsequently fed diets without SDP and with or without mycotoxin contaminated corn during this
3 week period. Pigs fed mycotoxin contaminated corn without SDP supplemented in the diet during
either of the two feeding periods had reduced growth rate compared to pigs that had never been fed
diets with mycotoxin contaminated corn. However, if pigs had been fed the diet containing the
enhanced nutrition provided by SDP during the initial period (which resulted in greater growth rate
compared to pigs fed the diet with 0% SDP during the initial period) then final body weight and pig
growth rate was not significantly affected, regardless of supplementation level of SDP in the diet when
mycotoxin contaminated corn diets were fed during the second period of the study.
These results demonstrate the important role of the enhanced nutrition provided by SDP as an
ingredient in feed to support pig performance through post-weaning stress and help prepare them to be
more resilient under subsequent stress associated with mycotoxins later in production.
Weaning and vaccination stress
Vaccination of pigs against porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyo)
around weaning is a common practice to prevent or reduce the negative effect of these infections.
Vaccination is associated with stimulation of the immune system which may cause fever, reduced feed
intake, lethargy, and reduced growth for a few days after vaccination [27]. Therefore, the stress caused
by weaning, along with the added stress of vaccination, may result in reduced performance during the
post-weaning period.
A study [17] has recently been conducted in which pigs weaned at 21 days of age were randomly
distributed into four different treatment groupseach housed in 13 pens (6 male; 7 female) with 7 pigs
per pen. The groups were as follows: Trt A,pigs were vaccinated and fed a diet without SDP; Trt B,pigs
were vaccinated and fed a diet with 6% SDP; Trt C pigs were injected with a placebo and fed a diet
without SDP and Trt D pigs were injected with a placebo and fed a diet with 6% SDP.
Basal diets were similar to standard commercial diets for weaned pigs and 6% SDP was included in Trt B
and D replacing soy protein concentrate on an equal energy and lysine basis. Diets were fed in meal
form for 14 days after weaning. Pigs in Trt A and B were vaccinated with a Mhyo-PCV2 combined vaccine
as a single injection given at day 3 post-weaning. Animals in Trt C and D received a placebo (saline)
injection at day 3 post-weaning. Individual pig weight was recorded at 0, 7, and 14 days post-weaning
and average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion rate (F:G) were
calculated for these periods. The results (Table 1) indicated that the addition of SDP in starter diets fed
during the initial 14 days post-weaning improved (P<0.05) growth (ADG,day 0-14) of pigs. Of particular
interest is that during the first 7 days after weaning during time of vaccination stress, pigs fed the diet
with SDP had better feed efficiency regardless of whether or not they were injected on day 3 postweaning with the Mhyo-PCV2 combined vaccine.
In addition, the final results [28] indicatea reduction (P<0.05) in mortality from weaning to market (day
0-145)for pigs previously fed a diet with SDP (3.9% mortality) during the initial 14 days after weaning
compared to pigs fed a control diet (11% mortality). Furthermore carcass weight of pigs previously fed
SDP in the starter diet was increased (P < 0.05) on average by 2.2 kg compared to pigs not fed a starter
diet with SDP. These results also demonstrate that starter diets supplemented with SDP during the
initial post-weaning stress periodwith associated vaccination stress have longer term beneficial effects
on productivity indices.
Recommendations and Conclusions
Recommendations and guidelines for use of spray dried plasma in diets for swine are provided in Table
2. These guidelines are provided to assist the nutritionist to establish the appropriate dietary inclusion
level of SDP and feeding duration best suited for the variable environmental and production situations
under which pigs are produced.
The results reported herein demonstrate the important role of the enhanced nutrition provided by spray
dried plasma as a protein source in feed to support pig performance through post-weaning stress and
prepare them to thrive and be more resilient under subsequent stress later in production.
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Table 1. Performance of vaccinated or non-vaccinated pigs fed starter diets with or without spray dried plasma
Treatments
A
B
C
D
SDP
+
+
Vaccination
+
+
2,3
ADG (g) 0-7d
57.9
105.8
69.6
104.6
2,3,4
F:G 0-7 d
1.48
1.08
1.33
1.06
ADG (g) 7-14d
177.6
180.8
182.6
189.4
F:G 7-14d
1.25
1.37
1.28
1.34
2,3,4
ADG (g) 0-14d
115.7
143.1
126.2
146.4
4
F:G 0-14 d
1.36
1.25
1.25
1.21
1
1
Values are least squares means of the pen average analyzed for main effects of vaccination, diet, sex and their interactions. Per treatment
group there were 13 pens (6 pens male; 7 pens female) with 7 pigs per pen. Adapted from Crenshaw et al., 2014.
2
Main effect of sex (P <0.05)
3
Main effect of SDP (P < 0.05)
4
Interaction of sex, vaccination and SDP (P < 0.05)
Table 2. Recommendations for use of spray-dried plasma in swine diets
Production period
Pig creep feed while in maternity
First pig feed after weaning
Second pig feed after weaning*
Third pig feed after weaning**
Transition from nursery to grower**
Lactating sows
Gestating sows
Boars in isolation
Plasma Level in
Complete Feed, %
Feeding duration
5-10%
4-6%
2-3%
1.0-1.5%
0.5-1.0%
day 7 of age to weaning
0 to 14 days after weaning
15 to 28 days after weaning
28 days after weaning to end of nursery
end of nursery to 14 days in grower
0.5% to 1%
0.5% to 1%
Provide ad libitum feed during lactation
Provide in feed during entire gestation
2.5%
Provide in feed during entire time boars are in
isolation or quarantine
* Recommended for maintaining maximum effect of nutrition provided by spray dried plasma
** Recommended for pigs experiencing stress during later time in nursery or during transition from nursery to
grow-finish facility.