NAKED OATS IN GROWER-FINISHER PIG DIETS
One hundred and twenty-eight pigs were placed into four groups and each group was fed from approximately 32 to 97 kg liveweight one of four diets: a control corn-soy diet or one of three diets containing 30.0, 65.0 or 96.7% of Tibor naked oats. Total liveweight gains and carcass backfat and quality index values were not significantly different at the end of the 77-d growth period. Feed conversion of the oat diets was progressively improved as the amount of oats in the ration increased; probably because the energy content of the rations increased as the concentration of naked oat kernels with their 8–10% total lipid increased. Diets containing the higher levels of oats also produced a better carcass yield (or dressing percentage) than the control diet. Tibor naked oats are thus a suitable replacement for all or part of the grain corn and soybean meal in a grower-finisher pig ration. Key words: Pig, grower-finisher diets, naked oats, cultivar Tibor