Effect of fat sources and combinations on starter pig performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology

Three growth trials and one digestion trial were conducted to compare the effect of dietary fat sources and combinations on starter pig performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology. Growth trials 1 and 2, utilizing a total of 324 weanling pigs (21 +/- 3 d), were conducted to determine the influence of addition of soybean oil, coconut oil, choice white grease, 50% soybean oil: 50% coconut oil or 50% choice white grease: 50% coconut oil on starter pig performance. Diets were supplemented with 10% fat for the first 2 wk of the study and with 5% for the final 3 wk. The third growth trial, utilizing a total of 210 weanling pigs, was conducted to evaluate the effects of addition of soybean oil, coconut oil, 50% soybean oil: 50% coconut oil, 75% soybean oil: 25% coconut oil or 25% soybean oil: 75% coconut oil on starter pig performance and nutrient digestibility. Average daily gain and feed/gain were not changed during wk 0 to 2, but they were improved from 3 to 5 wk postweaning when fat was added to the diets. The combination of 50% soybean oil and 50% coconut oil resulted in higher ADG than the other fat combinations. A digestion trial utilizing 24 weanling pigs (21 +/- 3 d) was conducted to evaluate the effects of soybean oil, coconut oil, or combination of soybean oil and coconut oil on morphology of the small intestine and ileal and total tract apparent digestibilities of individual fatty acids, total fatty acids, N, DM and GE from d 5 to 8 postweaning. Pigs fed the combination of soybean oil and coconut oil tended to have increased (P less than .08) villus height compared with pigs fed soybean oil or coconut oil alone. Micrographs revealed intestinal morphology with long, round villi when this combination of oils was fed. These trials demonstrated that a combination of soybean oil and coconut oil improved (P less than .05) pig growth performance over coconut oil alone or with added choice white grease and tended to improve (P less than .12) ileal digestibility of medium-chain fatty acids (less than or equal to 14 C) compared to diets without added fat or containing soybean oil or coconut oil alone.