The Effect of Liberal B-Vitamin Supplementation on Growth of Weanling Pigs Fed Rations Containing a Variety of Feedstuffs

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Abstract
Weanling 24-lb. pigs were self-fed a basal ration of corn, oats, expeller soybean meal, meat scraps, alfalfa meal and complex mineral mixture on concrete floors. Ca panto-thenate, riboflavin and nicotinic acid, when added to the basal ration, brought about a significant increase in daily gains, pre-vented the occurrence of deficiency symptoms, and reduced the feed required per unit of gain 22 to 25%. In 2 trials supplements of thiamine, pyridoxine and choline failed to further increase gains or "lower the feed requirement. In 1 trial, vit. B12 con-centrate also failed to increase gains and efficiency above the increase due to the supplement of pantothenic acid, nicotinic acid and riboflavin. The rations used were evidently deficient in pantothenic acid, nicotinic acid and riboflavin under the conditions of these trials and liberal supplementation of these vits. overcame the deficiency.