Pig trials with CLAs give promising results
German based international food and feed ingredients company, Berg+Schmidt, has conducted practical trials with 5,800 pigs to demonstrate how conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) improve fattening performance.
CLAs are special forms (isomers) of linoleic acid that have a positive effect on fat metabolism and growth in fattening pigs. Two CLA isomers, in particular, inhibit lipoprotein lipase activity, thus reducing body fat while increasing protein accretion. In practical terms this means enhanced growth performance and a higher proportion of lean meat.
These positive effects have now been substantiated by four convincing practical trials carried out with over 5,800 fattening pigs in North Germany in the past two years. In the finishing period (from about 70 kg) the pigs in the trial groups were given a CLA supplement in the form of the product LodeStar CLA L50 at a level of 0.5 % of the complete feed. LodeStar CLA L50 from the feed additive specialist Berg + Schmidt is produced from unsaturated oils and consists of 50 % conjugated linoleic acids.
The evaluation of the data documents increased daily weight gains of up to 5.1 % in the trial groups (control: 914 g / trial: 961 g), an improvement of as much as 6.5 % in feed conversion rates (1:3.1 / 1:2.9), up to 2.8 % more lean meat (53.7 / 55.2) and a 2.9 % higher index number (92.46 / 95.11).
The results are therefore impressive proof that supplementing with LodeStar CLA L50 greatly enhances performance at the finishing stage of fattening and the quality of the carcass – both of which are economically relevant parameters.
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