Effect of Chinese herb feed additives on growth performance and endocrine function in weaned piglets

The effect of Chinese herb feed additives on growth performance and endocrine function in weaned piglets was reported in this paper.16 litters of D×L×Y crossbred sucking piglets in similar fetals and farrowing dates were randomly divided into four groups,three treatments were added with traditional Chinese herb feed additives Ⅰ(4 kg · t-1),traditional Chinese herb feed additives Ⅱ(4 kg · t-1) and chlortetracycline(70 g · t-1) and bacitracinzinc(30 g · t-1) in the same basal diet,respectively.The blood samples were taken from the vena cava at 3 days before weaning and 1,4,7,14, 28 days post weaning.The results were as follows:(1) daily weight gains in two supplemental Chinese herb feed additives groups were increased,the feed conversion ratio and diarrhea rate were decreased,(2) a day after weaning,the serum level of cortisol in piglets decreased and the serum levels of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine(T4) increased;Compared with antibiotics group and control group,the serum levels of cortisol in piglets in two Chinese herb groups were lower and the contents of serum T3 and T4 were higher during experimental period.From above results,it could be concluded that Chinese herb feed additives Ⅰand Ⅱ could prevent weaned piglets diarrhea and improve day weight gain and feed conversion ratio.It also could decrease the serum level of cortisol and increase the serum levels of T3 and T4 in weaned piglets.