from different litters (MIXED) or littermate
pigs (NON-MIXED). Treatments included:
1) probiotic (4 mL) and NON-MIXED pigs,
2) vehicle and NON-MIXED pigs, 3) probiotic
and MIXED pigs, and 4) vehicle and
MIXED pigs. Probiotic or vehicle was
administered as an oral gavage on the day
of weaning; there were 4 pens per treatment.
There were tendencies for effects of treatment
× grouping for average daily gain
(P = 0.11) and feed consumed (P = 0.12).
For MIXED pens, there was an effect of
probiotic treatment on average daily gain
(P = 0.05) and feed consumed (approached
significance, P = 0.08). In summary, administration
of antibiotics or probiotics to
neonatal pigs showed no benefit on preweaning
performance. However,
a probiotic tended to enhance average daily
gain and feed consumption in pigs that were
weaned into pens with non-littermates