Effects of processing and the physical form of diets on digestibility and the performance of nursery piglets

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of various diet processing methods and physical forms on digestibility and zootechnical performance parameters of nursery piglets. The study was performed in 2 phases. The first phase was performed twice with 120 piglets per experiment, for a total of 240 newly weaned piglets, in a randomized block design with 6 treatments and 5 replicates (30 pens). The following experimental diets were offered from weaning to 21 days after weaning (initial nursery phase) and included the following: mash diet (M); mash diet conditioned at 60ºC (CM); diet pelleted at 60ºC/matrix 2.5 mm (P2.5); diet pelleted at 60ºC/matrix 2.5 mm and crumbled (P2.5C); diet pelleted at 60ºC/matrix 4.75 mm (P4.75); and diet pelleted at 60ºC/matrix 4.75 mm and crumbled (P4.75C). The animals' daily weight gain (DWG), daily feed intake (DFI) and feed conversion (FC) were assessed. Phase 2 used 24 piglets (33 days old) from Phase 1, which were lodged in individual metabolic cages. The experiment employed a randomized block design with 4 treatments and 6 replicates: mash diet (M); mash diet conditioned at 60ºC (CM); diet pelleted at 60ºC/matrix 2.5 mm (P2.5); and diet pelleted at 60ºC/matrix 4.75 mm (P4.75). Feces were collected to analyze the digestibility of and apparent digestible energy in dry matter, gross energy and ether extract. The processing and physical form of the diets did not affect the DWG and DFI of the 21-to 39-day-old piglets. The 2.5-mm-diameter pellets induced better FC compared to the crumbled and conditioned crumbled diets (P<0.05), which might be attributed to the better digestibility of the ether extract in the pelleted diets. Pellet size had no effect on the performance parameters. Key words: Ether extract. Feeding. Pellet. Swine. Weaning. ResumoO objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de diferentes tipos de processamento e forma física da ração sobre a digestibilidade e parâmetros de desempenho zootécnico de leitões na fase de creche. O estudo foi conduzido em duas etapas. A primeira etapa foi repetida no tempo, com 120 leitões em cada experimento, totalizando 240 leitões recém-desmamados, num delineamento experimental em blocos ao acaso, com seis tratamentos e cinco repetições (30 baias). As dietas experimentais foram ofertadas do desmame aos 21 dias pós-desmame (fase inicial de creche), sendo: dieta farelada (F); dieta condicionada 60°C (FC); dieta peletizada 60°C / matriz 2,5 mm (P2.5); dieta peletizada 60°C / matriz 2,5 mm e triturada (P2.5T); dieta peletizada 60°C / matriz 4,75 mm (P4.75); dieta peletizada 60°C / matriz 4,75 mm e triturada (P4.75T). Foi determinado o ganho de peso diário (GPD), o consumo de ração diário (CRD) e a conversão alimentar (CA). Na segunda etapa foram utilizados 24 animais (33 dias de idade), provenientes da primeira etapa, os quais foram alojados individualmente em gaiolas metabólicas. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente ao acaso, com quatro tratamentos de seis repetições cada: dieta farelada (F); dieta condicionada 60°...