149 KemTRACE® Chromium improves pig performance and meat quality

Abstract The objective was to evaluate the impact of KemTRACE® Chromium (KTCr) as a source of chromium propionate on pig performance and meat quality, as well as to calculate a return on investment (ROI) when used during the entire grow-to-market period. The hypothesis was that the dietary inclusion of KTCr during the entire grow-finish phase is a profitable tool to improve pig performance and meat quality regardless of the season. The experiment was conducted at a research barn with pigs coming from a commercial flow in central Canada. Two dietary net energy (NE) levels were used to represent summer (standard NE) vs winter (low NE) diets. The experiment had a Completely Randomized Design with 4 dietary treatments in a 2 (NE standard vs low (-75 kcal NE/kg)) × 2 (KTCr 0 vs 200 ppb) factorial arrangement. The experimental unit was a pen with a feeder and 22 pigs. Each treatment had 12 pen replicates. Pigs were the offspring of Fast female 276 × PIC board 800 Duroc; pigs had ~77 days of age and 29.4±0.36 kg BW at the beginning. All pigs were chemically castrated (Improvest® by Zoetis). Pigs were sent to the slaughterhouse on 2 dates at weeks 12 and 15, for a total of 99 days average in experiment. Pig performance and meat quality parameters were evaluated. Calculation of ROI used the USDA National Daily Hog and Pork Report Summary of March 26, 2024. Statistical analyses (JMP® 17) included main effects of NE level and KTCr inclusion, as well as their interaction. Residuals were used to identify outliers; data that deviated more than 2.5 from the predicted mean were excluded (< 1%). Dietary inclusion of KTCr and NE level did not interact on pig performance. Pigs fed KTCr diets tended (P=0.138) to grow 1% faster than pigs fed diets without KTCr regardless of NE level, and that effect was mostly driven by pigs fed the NE Standard diet (ADG was 1.6% larger with KTCr at 200 vs 0 ppb). The ADFI and F:G ratio did not differ among treatments. In pigs fed NE Standard diets, KTCr yielded carcasses 0.77% heavier (P=0.067). The most relevant benefits of KTCr on meat quality were a reduction (P=0.079) of drip losses and improved (P=0.086) marbling regardless of NE level in diets. The effects of NE level were consistent with expectations. The ROI analysis showed a value of 3.1 based on BW gain, and a value of 4.86 based on carcass weight, when KTCr was included in NE Standard diets. In conclusion, dietary use of KTCr in grow-finish is a profitable tool to improve pig performance and meat quality.