A comparison of two contrasting types of grain sorghum in the diet of the growing pig

1979 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Almond ◽  
W. C. Smith ◽  
G. P. Savage ◽  
T. L. J. Lawrence

ABSTRACTA study was undertaken to compare the chemical composition of Texas No. 2 hybrid yellow sorghum with that of a traditional brown-seeded variety and also their digestibility and nitrogen retention in the growing pig. Dry matter, crude protein and gross energy contents and amino acid composition were similar in the two varieties but brown-seeded sorghum had a markedly higher tannin content. In diets containing 70% of either yellow or brown sorghum, N retention was marginally higher on the yellow sorghum diet and apparent digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen and gross energy was improved (0·07, 0·06 and 0·12 units respectively). The improvements in digestible energy and crude protein content of the yellow sorghum diet over the brown-seeded one were 10% and 6% respectively. In a subsequent trial 16 pigs were individually and scale-fed each of the diets over the live-weight range 28 to 81 kg. Growth rates and feed conversion ratios were better on the yellow sorghum diet (10%) but sorghum variety did not influence killing-out percentage, deposition of backfat or area of eye muscle in cross-section.

1983 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ellis ◽  
M. Davies ◽  
P. A. Briggs ◽  
D. G. Armstrong

ABSTRACTA metabolism trial was carried out to examine the influence of an antibiotic food additive (Avoparcin) on the apparent digestibility of nutrients and nitrogen retention in the growing pig. Two groups of pigs, comprising 12 castrates per group, were fed a barley-based diet (190g crude protein per kg dry matter) with or without the inclusion of the antibiotic (at a dietary concentration of 20 mg/kg). Addition of Avoparcin had no significant effect on the apparent digestibility of dry matter or gross energy but resulted in a small increase in the apparent digestibility of nitrogen (0·012; P < 0·05). There was a corresponding improvement in nitrogen retention (0·051) but the difference was not statistically significant.


1975 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. H. Fernandes ◽  
K. Hutton ◽  
W. C. Smith

SummaryAn experiment was undertaken to examine the effects of the micronization process followed by grinding on the chemical composition of barley and on digestibility and nitrogen (N) retention in the growing pig. Micronization relative to normal grinding increased the dry matter (DM) content and starch availability in vitro and decreased the protein content of the cereal. Retention of N was not affected by the process but apparent digestibility of the DM, N and gross energy was improved. The improvement in digestible energy content of micronized barley over the ground grain was 3·8%. In a subsequent trial 24 pigs were individually and scale-fed a diet containing 75% of barley in ground or micronized and ground form over the liveweight range 33 to 80 kg. Processing treatment did not influence growth rate, DM food conversion ratio, killing-out percentage, deposition of backfat or area of ‘eye muscle’ in cross-section.


1979 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. Wilson ◽  
Jane Leibholz

ABSTRACTIn two experiments, pigs were weaned at 4 to 5 days of age and offered dry diets based on milk proteins and tallow. Live-weight gains between 7 and 28 days of age were 220 g/day with feed conversion ratios of 0·80 when the optimum diets were given.Expt 1 was a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with eight pigs per treatment. There were two sources of carbohydrate, lactose and wheat starch, two levels of fat, 40 and 250 g/kg and two levels of crude protein, 140 and 250 g/kg of the diet. There was no significant difference in the performance of pigs when they were fed lactose or wheat starch as the source of carbohydrate. However, the feed intake of the pigs and their weight gains and apparent digestibilities of dry matter and nitrogen were lower when the diets contained 250 g fat/kg than when the diets contained 40 g fat/kg.In Expt 2 six diets were fed to 12 pigs each. The diets contained 150, 180, 210, 240, 270 or 300 g/kg of crude protein. Weight gains and nitrogen retention showed a positive correlation (r= 0·997) with the dietary nitrogen intake but there was no statistical increase in these parameters above the 270 g crude protein/kg level. The apparent digestibilities of dry matter and nitrogen showed a similar trend. A value of 141 mg nitrogen/day per kg M0·75was estimated as the metabolic endogenous loss of nitrogen.


1982 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-445
Author(s):  
Paula M. A. A. Serra ◽  
O. E. R. Olivetra ◽  
T. H. Fernandes

ABSTRACTAn experiment was undertaken to examine the effect of using sorghum as a substitute for maize on digestibility and nitrogen retention in the growing pig. Two levels of sorghum, 200 and 400 g/kg, substituting for maize on a weight basis, were used. The chemical composition of control and test diets was similar. In the metabolism trial, digestibility coefficients for dry matter, crude fibre, nitrogen and gross energy were significantly lower for the animals given the higher level of sorghum. In the feeding trial, no significant differences were recorded between the three groups in relation to food conversion ratio, daily live-weight gain, killing-out proportion and carcass quality. It is concluded that yellow sorghum may replace up to 400 g of maize per kg in diets for growing pigs without having detrimental effects on animal performance.


1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Chamberlain ◽  
B. C. Cooke

SUMMARYEach of seven diets containing different proportions of separated milk and barley meal, supplemented with minerals and vitamins, was given to five groups of four pigs. The ratios of barley to milk solids were such that the crude protein of the dry matter given to pigs of 20 to 40 kg live weight ranged from approximately 15 to 21%. Within each treatment, the proportion of milk was gradually adjusted so that the crude protein level was reduced by 3% over the live-weight range 40 to 91 kg. Daily energy allowances of all pigs were governed by the same scale.The total dry matter consumed by the pigs had mean total lysine levels of from 0·52 to 1·18% (approximately 0·1% lysine between successive treatments).Pigs on the lowest level of milk grew more slowly and had poorer feed conversion than other animals.Percentage dissectable lean in the trimmed side was highly correlated with lysine level. Within the range studied, each 0·1% increase in lysine increased lean by 0·69% and caused decreases in fat thickness. The performance of the milk-fed pigs was compared to controls given a standard all-meal diet.Nitrogen metabolism trials were carried out on the milk diets. Beneficial responses in terms of nitrogen retention were found up to the highest level of milk given to pigs between 16 and 90 kg live weight.


1980 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. D. Pattison ◽  
R. J. Thomas ◽  
W. C. Smith

ABSTRACTA preliminary trial established a subclinical level of infection with Oesophagostomum dentatum capable of affecting the performance of growing pigs. Thereafter a slightly higher level of infection (100 000 larvae) was administered to each of 24 individually- and scale-fed pigs to investigate the effect of O. dentatum on performance, digestibility and nitrogen retention over the live-weight range 32 to 64 kg. Worm-free but otherwise similar pigs served as controls. Infection reduced growth rate (12·9 %) and decreased efficiency of feed conversion to body weight (14·9%). There was no effect on killing-out percentage or area of eye muscle in cross-section, but infected pigs had relatively lower backfat depths (5·5 to 12·5 %). Infection did not influence nitrogen retention, but apparent digestibility of the dry matter, organic matter, nitrogen, gross energy and crude fibre was reduced. Possible explanations for these effects are discussed in relation to tissue changes associated with larval development in the large intestine.


1975 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Thomas ◽  
J. M. Wilkinson ◽  
J. C. Tayler

SUMMARYFifty-four British Friesian castrated male calves, initially 3, 6 or 9 months of age (107, 180 and 249 kg initial live weight, respectively), were individually fed for 83 days on maize silage (27·9% dry matter (D.M.), 10·7% crude protein in D.M.), offeredad libitum. Silage was offered either alone or supplemented with cobs of dried lucerne (21% of total D.M. intake). Three levels of urea (0, 1 and 2% of silage D.M.) were added to the silage before feeding.Total D.M. intakes averaged 23·0, 23·4 and 21·6 g/kg live weight (LW) for the 3-, 6- and 9-month-old animals, respectively. Addition of urea increased silage intake by 11% in the 6-month-old group but there was little effect in the 3- and 9-month-old groups. Lucerne supplementation reduced silage D.M. intake from 22·0 to 18·4 g/kg LW (P< 0·001) and increased total D.M. intake by 1·4 g/kg LW (P< 0·001).Live-weight gain (LWG) of the cattle fed on silage alone increased (P< 0·001) with increasing age of animal. The main effect of urea was to elevate (P< 0·001) LWG from an average of 0·79 (no urea) to 0·94 kg/head/day (2% urea). However, it appeared that most of this effect was confined to the 6-month-old group. The effect of lucerne on LWG decreased with increasing age of animal (P< 0·001). Inclusion of lucerne in the diet significantly reduced the response to urea (P< 0·05).Feed conversion efficiency (LWG/100 Mcal DE intake) decreased (P< 0·01) with increasing age of animal but increased with urea addition from an average of 4·7 (no urea) to 5·3 kg LWG/100 Meal DE intake (2% urea). The response to lucerne supplementation in terms of efficiency was greatest in the 3-month-old group and thereafter declined markedly with increasing age of animal.The results of this experiment indicated that cattle older than 6 months of age (180 kg LW) could achieve a rate of growth of 1·0 kg/head/day on maize silage supplemented solely with urea, but that younger animals required supplementary lucerne to support a high rate of live-weight gain.


1971 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-204
Author(s):  
H. M. Hassan ◽  
A. M. S. Mukhtar

SUMMARYSixty-four young male Sudan desert lambs were group-fed for 87 days on four diets, all containing approximately 10% crude protein. The four diets contained 0, 1·3, 1·7 and 2·7% urea, respectively.Average daily gains were 0·15, 0·14, 0·14 and 0·13 kg; feed conversion ratios (kg of feed required to produce 1 kg live-weight gain) were 7·26, 8·14, 8·92 and 7·92; dressing percentages were 43·6, 42·1, 44·1 and 42·3.Digestibility trials with lambs fed on diets with 0 or 2·7% urea gave higher digestibility coefficients for crude fibre and nitrogen-free extract for the urea-supplemented lambs. Crude protein digestibility and nitrogen retention values were lower for urea-supplemented lambs.


1972 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Babatunde ◽  
M. J. Olomu ◽  
V. A. Oyenuga

SUMMARYFeeding trials were carried out at different times of the year to determine the optimum crude protein requirements of weaner and growing pigs, using principally the locally available ingredients. The animals used were 96 weaners and 113 growing pigs of the Large White and Landrace breeds of average initial weights of about 9 kg and 41 kg respectively. Test diets contained protein levels ranging from 12% to 24% on a dry-matter basis, and the pigs were mostly group-fed ad libitum except for one trial. Average daily gains, efficiency of feed utilization, apparent nitrogen retention and digestibility, and feed cost per kg of body gain were measured. In a humid tropical environment, such as Ibadan, the optimum crude protein requirement for weaner pigs from 9 kg to 34 kg live weight is between 22 % and 24 % of dry matter, while that for the fattening pigs from 41 kg to 82 kg live weight is between 18% and 21% of dry matter.


1970 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. McCullough

SUMMARYConcentrate diets supplemented with 5, 20 and 40% of a high- and a low-quality hay were given ad libitum to British Friesian steers from 9 weeks of age to slaughter. The intake of dry matter and metabolizable energy was studied over weight ranges from 91 to 363 kg live weight. The quality of hay did not significantly affect the drymatter intake at any of the weight ranges studied. From 91 to 182 kg live weight the daily dry-matter intake decreased as the proportion of hay in the diet increased. Over the weight range from 182 to 272 kg live weight, intake was maximum at the 20% level of hay supplementation, while from 272 to 363 kg live weight, intake increased with increasing levels of hay in the diet. The supplementation of high-quality hay significantly increased the intake of metabolizable energy by animals weighing 91–182 kg. Increasing proportions of hay in the diet significantly affected the metabolizable energy intake at all stages of growth studied.At 18 and 36 weeks of age digestibility and N balance studies were carried out. The metabolizable energy expressed as a percentage of the gross energy and the mean retention time of the diets were significantly affected by the age of animal, quality of the hay and the level of hay supplementation. Nitrogen retention was also affected by the age of the animal but not by the quality of the hay.The relationships between the voluntary intake of dry matter and the metabolizable energy of the diet expressed as a percentage of the gross energy, for different stages of growth, are also presented.The change in the digestibility and the mean time of retention of the diets in the digestive tract with age and the effect of this on the point where physical regulation to intake gives way to physiological regulation are discussed.


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