Abstract: Increasing pressure to sustain and improve environment has accelerated searching for feed additives with environmental and economic benefits in animal production. This experiment investigated the effect of dietary Biochar Including Vinegar Liquid (BIOV) supplements on weaned pigs growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics and fecal noxious gas emission in a 28 days feeding trial. A total of 60 crossbred piglets with an initial BW of 8.07±0.29 kg (28 days of age) were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments with 4 replications per treatment and 3 pigs per pen in a completely randomized design. Dietary treatments included NC (Negative Control; basal diet), PC (Positive Control; basal diet+0.05% oxytetracycline), BV1 (basal diet+1% BIOV), BV2 (basal diet+2% BIOV) and BV3 (basal diet+3% BIOV). Although, PC treatment showed highest Average Daily Gain (ADG) and gain: feed these indices were not found differ with BV1 and BV2 treatments through the 28 days trial (p<0.05). The pigs in BV treatments presented better nitrogen digestibility than PC and NC group (p<0.05) while Dry Matter (DM) and Digestibility Energy (DE) were not affected by BV treatment (p>0.05). Also, the concentration of leucocytes, lymphocyte and IgG were optimal in PC treatment whereas there were no significant differ between antibiotic and BIOV additive (p>0.05). Meanwhile, all the BIOV added treatments decreased BUN and cortisol compared to NC treatment (p<0.05). Moreover, the fecal ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, amine, R.SH and acetic acid gas emissions were decreased, fecal pH was boosted in BV2 and BV3 treatments compared to PC and NC group (p<0.05). Therefore, the results of the present study suggest that BIOV is an animal feed additive with environmental and economic benefits which can be a potential alternative to antibiotics.
J. Han, F. Zhang, L.B. Du, X.H. Han, W.F. Chen and J. Meng, 2014. Effects of Dietary Biochar Including Vinegar Liquid on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Blood Characteristics and Fecal Noxious Gas Emission in Weaned Piglets. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 13: 1072-1079.