Apparent and standardised ileal digestibilities and growth performance of finishing pigs fed diets formulated with new corn hybrids

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritive value of four new corn hybrids (H515, P7573, P30F94 and P3086). In Experiment 1, five crossbred (Yorkshire×Duroc) finishing barrows (52 kg initial body weight [BW]), were fitted with a simple T-cannula at the terminal ileum, to determine the apparent (AID) and standardised (SID) ileal digestibilities of amino acids (AA) and other nutrients. Pigs were individually penned in metabolism crates and had free access to water; feed was offered at 2.5 times the metabolisable energy (ME) requirement for maintenance. A 5×5 latin square design was used, with five periods of seven days each; the collection of samples was at days sixth and seventh, every two h. In Experiment 2, 15 finishing (63±2.4 kg initial BW) barrows were randomly allotted into three diets to determine growth performance and backfat thickness. The experiment lasted 49 days. In Experiment 1, the AID and SID of all AA were similar between diets (hybrids). Only the P3086 corn diet had the highest AID and SID for cystine, ash and crude protein (CP). In Experiment 2, the average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed efficiency of pigs were not affected by the formulation system. The backfat thickness was higher in pigs fed T3. These results show that the new corn hybrids had similar nutritive value for finishing pigs as in regular corn.

Keywords:

• amino acids digestibility
• growth performance
• pigs
• corn hybrids

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Fundación Produce de Guerrero, A. C., México.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

L. Reyna

Present address: Colegio Superior Agropecuario del Estado de Guerrero, Iguala, Guerrero 40000, México