The effect of copper addition to diets with various iron levels on the performance and hematology of weanling swine
1991
Dove, Robert
A 2 X 6 factorial experiment with Cu added at 5 or 250 ppm and Fe added at 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, or 300 ppm was conducted using 480 crossbred weanling pigs with an average initial weight of 7.0 kg. The basal corn-soybean meal-whey diet contained 4 ppm Cu, 169 ppm Fe, and 199 ppm Zn. Pigs were allotted by weight, sex, and litter outcome group and had ad libitum access to feed and water during the 28-d trials. Animals were weighed and pen feed intake was recorded weekly. Blood samples were collected on d 1, 14, and 28 of the experiment. The addition of 250 ppm Cu increased ADG (P < .001) and average daily feed intake (ADFI, P < .01) during the 28-d trials. The addition of Fe had no effect on ADG and ADFI (P > .10). A Cu X Fe interaction (P < .0l) was observed for feed/gain. Increasing Fe levels linearly improved hematocrit status (P < .05) on d 28 of the trial A Cu X Fe interaction (P < .08) was observed for hemoglobin at the end of the trial; hemoglobin levels were increased by the addition of Fe to the diet containing 250 ppm of Cu. Plasma Cu was increased (P < .001) by the addition of 250 ppm of Cu. Plasma Fe was low when either 50 or 100 ppm of Fe was added in the presence of 250 ppm of Cu, but it was not affected at other levels, resulting in a Cu X Fe interaction (P < .05). These data indicate that levels of added Fe up to 300 ppm may help to improve the hematological status of weanling pigs fed growth-promoting levels of Cu but that it has little effect on performance.
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