Rare earth elements--a new generation of growth promoters for pigs?

The present study which includes two feeding experiments was performed to investigate a possible performance enhancing effect of rare earth elements (REF) in piglets. This performance enhancing effect has been described in the Chinese literature for a long time, however, it was never tested under "western conditions". In the first feeding experiment 72 piglets at a mean BW of 7.3 kg were allotted to a control and to 4 REE groups at different levels of lanthanum chloride or an REE mixture containing mainly chlorides of lanthanum, cerium and praseodymium. The experimental period lasted 5 weeks. Positive effects of REE were found on body weight gain as well as on feed conversion ratio of the piglets. Compared to the control group, the daily weight gain was improved by 2 to 5% and feed conversion was better by up to 7%. These effects were, however, not significant. In the second feeding experiment, piglets (mean BW 17.3 kg) were fed for 8 weeks with a similar REE mixture. Significant positive effects of REE were found on both body weight gain and on feed conversion ratio by 19% and 10%, respectively. This is the first time that a performance enhancing effect of REE in pigs under western feeding conditions has been shown. Since the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed has been restricted in the European Union recently, rare earth elements might be of interest as new, safe and inexpensive alternative performance enhancers.