Effect of Lactobacillus Acidophilus on Starter Pigs Fed a Diet Supplemented with Lactose

Seventy-two crossbred pigs (average initial weight 6 kg) were used to study the effect of L. acidopbilus (lactic acid-producing bacteria common in probiotics) in starter diets on gain, feed conversion, fecal lactobacillus and coliform counts, hematology and serum proteins. The nonmedicated experimental diets were corn-soybean meal (18% crude protein) diets with two levels of lactose (0 and 10%). It has been theorized that lactose is necessary for lactobacilli to colonize in the digestive tract. One-half of the pigs received a 10-ml inoculum daily for 2 weeks via stomach tubes