Formic acid and formic acid-sorbate blend as alternatives to in-feed antibiotics in growing-finishing pigs fed simple or complex diets : Research report to Kemira Chemicals/Formics 10.02.2000

When piglets from different farms are brought into the same unit for fattening pig production, the use of avilamycin, formic acid or formic acid-sorbate blend improves weight gain and feed conversion ratio of pigs. Formic acid and formic acid-sorbate blend are equally effective growth promoters to avilamycin. Sorbate addition may increase the efficacy of formic acid as growth promoter. Organic acids enhance pig performance not only in growing but also in the finishing period. No diet and additive interactions were observed in performance results of pigs which indicates that the efficacy of organic acids is not dependent on diet composition. In simple diet, organic acids decreased the frequency of dirrhoea more than avilamycin, whereas fibrous diet itself was effective in decreasing the incidence of dirrhoea in growing period.