An evaluation of dietary natural zeolite or humic acid substances and sulfate water on nursery pig performance

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An Evaluation of Dietary Natural Zeolite or Humic Acid Substances and Sulfate Water on Nursery Pig Performance1 J. R. Flohr, M. D. Tokach, J. L. Nelssen, S. S. Dritz2 , J. M. DeRouchey, and R. D. Goodband Summary A total of 350 nursery pigs (PIC 1050 barrows, initially 21 d of age) were used in a 21-d study to determine the effects of high-sulfate water, dietary natural zeolite, and dietary humic substances on growth performance and fecal consistency of nursery pigs.Ten treatments were arranged as a 2 × 5 factorial with 2 water treatments (control or water with 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate) and 5 dietary treatments (control, 1 or 2% zeolite, 1% humic acid substance [HA], or 1% humic and fulvic acid blended substance [HFB]).Water treatments remained the same from d 0 to 21 and all diets were fed in 2 phases, with diets containing feed additives at the same inclusion rate in both phases.Phase 1 diets were fed in a pellet form from d 0 to 8 after weaning; Phase 2 diets were fed in meal form from d 8 to 21. Fecal samples were collected on d 5, 8, 15, and 21.These samples were visually assessed and scored on a scale of 1 to 5 to determine consistency of the fecal samples, then analyzed for DM.
Overall (d 0 to 21), a water source × diet interaction (P < 0.03) occurred for ADG and F/G.The interaction occurred because pigs fed 1% HA had poorer (P < 0.01) ADG and F/G than other treatments when drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water but improved ADG and F/G when drinking control water.Pigs drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water had poorer (P = 0.01) ADG and F/G and a tendency (P = 0.08) for lower ADFI than pigs drinking the control water.No significant main effects of diet were observed for growth performance criteria.Pigs drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water had more fluid fecal samples (P < 0.01) than pigs drinking control water.For fecal DM, pigs drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water had lower (P < 0.01) fecal DM on d 5 and 8 and lower overall mean fecal DM than pigs drinking control water.
Pigs drinking water with 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate had decreased ADG, poorer F/G, and tended to have lower ADFI for the overall trial than those drinking control water; they also had more watery feces on d 5 and 8 as measured by lower fecal DM compared with pigs drinking control water.The zeolite or humic acid products tested did not improve pig performance or alter fecal DM.

Introduction
Signs of diarrhea and more fluid feces are many times associated with an infectious disease challenge and the stress that accompanies weaning.Other factors that can contribute to these signs are water quality and high-protein diets.High sulfate concentrations within groundwater supplies have been associated with more fluid fecal production and reductions in performance (Anderson et al., 1994 3 ) when concentrations exceed 7,000 ppm.At concentrations less than 3,000 ppm, research has shown that sulfates act as a natural laxative and can cause less firm feces but do not affect growth performance (Patience et al., 2004 4 ).A previous study conducted at K-State  (Flohr et al., 2011 5 ) showed that using a 3,000 ppm sodium sulfate challenge model decreased growth performance and increased the fecal moisture content and clinical diarrhea score of weaned pigs.
A similar model is utilized at the University of Guelph to induce colitis in swine as a model for human Inflammatory Bowel Disease research.In this model, pigs are orally dosed with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS).Work conducted with the model has consistently shown that oral DSS administration results in clinical signs of pro-inflammatory cytokine activity that can inhibit ideal water balance and absorption.Ultimately, high sulfate concentrations in water supplies can increase production costs, either from antibiotic treatment of pigs displaying signs of enteric disease (diarrhea) or from reductions in performance.
Zeolites are microporous aluminosilicate minerals composed of alkali and alkaline earth cations along with small amounts of other elements.The zeolite molecules are arranged in 3-dimensional structures that create interconnected channels capable of trapping molecules of proper dimensions similar to that of a sieve.Zeolite molecules can also bind and release specific molecules by adsorption or ion exchange.In industrial operations, zeolites have been used as detergents because of their ability to bind with water and other molecules.In agriculture, zeolites frequently have been used to reduce odor because of their ability to bind with ammonia.Flohr et al. (2011) showed that adding up to 1% zeolite to the diet of nursery pigs following weaning resulted in a linear increase in feed intake, but no changes in scour score were associated with increasing the amount of zeolite added to the diet.
Humic substances, another natural feed additive, have been used in nursery diets to decrease the incidence and severity of diarrhea.Humic substances can include most of the organic matter found in many soils, but its largest constituents include humic acid, fulvic acid, and humin.These substances can include several other minerals such as iron, manganese, copper, and zinc.Ji et al. (2006 6 ) reported improved ADG and F/G for 2 specialized humic substances with varying concentrations of humic and fulvic acid.

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The objectives of this study were to determine if adding natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) and humic and fulvic acid substances to the diet might mitigate the incidence and severity of diarrhea caused by adding 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate to the water supply of weaned pigs.

Procedures
The protocol for this experiment was approved by the Kansas State University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.The study was conducted at the K-State Segregated Early Weaning Facility in Manhattan, KS.
A total of 350 nursery pigs (PIC 1050 barrows, initially 12.5 lb and 21 d of age) were allotted to 1 of 10 treatments arranged in a 2 × 5 factorial with main effects of water source (control or water containing 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate) and dietary regimen (control [no added zeolite or humic substances], 1% zeolite [clinoptilolite], 2% zeolite [clinoptilolite], 1% HA, and 1% HFB.There were 5 pigs per pen and 7 pens per treatment.Pigs were provided unlimited access to feed and water through a 4-hole dry selffeeder and a cup waterer in each pen (5 ft × 5 ft).
Chemical composition of the natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) and the humic substances used in the experiment are shown in Table 1.All diets were fed in 2 phases (Table 2), and the dietary experimental feed additive additions were the same in both phases.Phase 1 diets were fed in a pellet form from d 0 to 8 after weaning.Phase 2 diets were fed in a meal form from d 8 to 21.Average daily gain, ADFI, and F/G were determined by weighing pigs and measuring feed disappearance on d 5, 8, 15, and 21.
For the sodium sulfate water treatment, sodium sulfate was mixed in a stock solution and administered in the water supply (Manhattan, KS, municipal water source) of the corresponding pens by a medicator (Dosatron; Dosatron International Inc., Clearwater, FL) at the rate of 1:10 to provide 2,000 ppm of sodium sulfate.Two water samples were collected from both the control water and 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate treatments: the first was collected on d 8, and the second sample was taken on d 21.Samples were analyzed by Servi-Tech Laboratories, Dodge City, KS, for sodium, sulfate, total dissolved solids, pH, and several other minerals (Table 3).
Fecal samples were collected on d 5, 8, 15, and 21.The samples were collected from 2 randomly selected pigs per pen for a total of 14 samples per treatment.Immediately after collection, the samples were individually scored by 5 individuals trained to determine fecal consistency.In this way, 10 fecal consistency scores were determined for each pen, and an average score was reported for the pen.The scale used for assessing fecal consistency was based on a numerical scale from 1 to 5, where 1 represented a hard, dry fecal pellet; 2 represented a firmly formed feces; 3 represented soft, moist feces that retained its shape; 4 represented soft, unformed feces that assumed the shape of its container; and 5 represented a watery liquid that could be poured.After scoring, samples were analyzed for DM using a 2-stage DM procedure.The first stage consisted of drying the complete sample in a 122ºF oven for 24 h.Afterward, the samples were cooled and ground into a powder.In the second stage, 1 g of the ground sample was placed in a crucible and dried in a 212ºF oven for 24 h.The initial DM value was then multiplied by the second to determine a total percentage DM.

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Nursery pig growth performance was analyzed as a 2 × 5 factorial with main effects of water and dietary treatment using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC).Pen was designated as the experimental unit, and contrast statements were used to determine effects of water and dietary treatments and their interactions along with linear and quadratic effects of dietary zeolite.Results were considered significant at P ≤ 0.05 and a trend at P ≤ 0.10.
For fecal scores and fecal DM, repeated measures over time analysis was conducted using the MIXED procedure of SAS.Pen was the experimental unit and the fixed effects were water and dietary treatment.Contrast statements were used to evaluate: (1) linear and quadratic effects of increasing zeolite, (2) linear and quadratic effects over time (collection days), (3) water × day interactions, (4) diet × day interactions, and (5) water × diet × day interactions.Results were considered significant at P ≤ 0.05 and considered a trend at P ≤ 0.10.

Results and Discussion
For overall growth performance (d 0 to 21), a water source × diet interaction (P < 0.01) was observed for ADG and F/G (Table 4).The interaction occurred because pigs fed 1% HA had poorer (P < 0.01) ADG and F/G when drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water but improved ADG and F/G when drinking control water.Pigs consuming 1% HA also had decreased (P = 0.03) ADFI when drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water compared with control water.For main effects, pigs drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water had poorer (P = 0.01) ADG and F/G and a tendency (P = 0.08) for lower ADFI compared with pigs drinking control water.Dietary treatment did not affect growth performance criteria.
A water × day interaction was observed (P < 0.01) for fecal consistency scores because fecal scores decreased over time for pigs drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water (Table 5).This observation indicates that their feces became firmer over time compared with pigs drinking control water that had similar fecal scores throughout the length of the study.
We observed a tendency (P = 0.10) for a water × diet interaction for d 5 fecal scores because of the greater difference between fecal scores on control and high-sulfate water for pigs eating the diet with 1% HA compared with pigs consuming other diets.We observed a water × diet (P < 0.01) interaction on d 8, because pigs eating diets containing 1 or 2 % zeolite and 1% HFB had looser fecal samples (P < 0.03) if they were drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water compared with pigs on these same treatments drinking control water.Pigs drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate had less firm (P < 0.01) fecal samples than pigs drinking control water.Diet did not influence (P > 0.40) overall fecal consistency scores.
A water × day interaction (P < 0.01) was observed for fecal DM (Table 6).Fecal DM increased over time for pigs drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water but remained similar throughout the study for pigs drinking control water.
A water × diet interaction was observed (P < 0.01) on d 8, because pigs that ate diets with 1 or 2% zeolite or 1% HFB had lower (P < 0.04) fecal DM if they drank 2,000

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ppm sodium sulfate water than pigs eating the same diets and drinking control water.Pigs on the control diet had similar fecal DM on both water sources.For main effects, pigs drinking 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate water had lower fecal DM (P < 0.01) on d 5, d 8, and for overall mean fecal DM.For diet effects, average fecal DM increased (linear, P < 0.01) with increasing zeolite inclusion, and pigs on control diets or 1% zeolite had lower (P < 0.01) or tended to have lower (P = 0.06) fecal DM than pigs consuming diets with 1% HFB.
Adding 2,000 ppm sodium sulfate within the water source had effects on fecal consistency similar to 3,000 ppm sodium sulfate in previous work.A significant impact on growth performance was observed at 2,000 ppm.This study agrees with Flohr et al. ( 2011), indicating that when providing high-sulfate containing water to newly weaned pigs, the largest detrimental effects occur within the first wk to 10 d after weaning.
Dietary regimen appeared to have no direct impact on growth performance regardless of which additive was used.The interactions between water and diet were mainly driven by the 1% HA diet, because these pigs had more fluid feces and poorer growth performance when supplemental sulfate was provided in the water treatment.A linear improvement in fecal DM was observed with increasing dietary zeolite, but there was no indication that these feed additives improved growth performance or led to firmer feces with less signs of diarrhea.This study contrasts with the previous work (Flohr et al., 2011), which showed that increasing zeolite up to 1% increased ADG and ADFI in nursery pigs.
Because of the variable responses found in studies conducted with zeolite, this additive may not be beneficial for growth performance in swine diets.Humic substances appeared to have no direct effect on growth performance or fecal consistency in this study, and some evidence indicated that they may be detrimental, which could be due to the fact that 1% may be above the optimal inclusion rate in swine diets.Research with other nutritional therapies in sulfate challenges may lead to effective practices to reduce scouring in early nursery pigs.

Table 1 .
Analyzed composition of feed additives

Table 3 .
Water analysis 1,2 Samples collected on d 8 and 21 were analyzed and the average values were reported. 2Water analysis performed by Servi-Tech Laboratories, Dodge City, KS.

Table 5 .
Influence of dietary natural zeolite or humic acid substances (HA and HFB) and highsulfate water on nursery pig fecal consistency1,2,3