Performance and feed preference of weaned piglets fed with corn grain silage subjected to different rehydration sources

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of diets composed of corn grain silage rehydrated with water and acid whey on the productive performance and feed preference of weaned piglets. We evaluated 120 piglets weaned in the pre-initial phase I for productive performance, and diarrhea, depression, and thinness states using the following diets: control ration with dry corn grain (CR); and corn grain silage rehydrated with water (CGSR+W); water and inoculant (CGSR+WI); and acid whey (CGSR+AW). To determine feed preference, 20 weaned piglets received reference (CR) and test (CGSR+AW) diets in two phases, restricted and free-choice. Analysis of variance, chi-square test, and t-test were applied at 5% of significance. There were no differences (p>0.05) in growth performance among piglets fed the four experimental diets. Severe thinness and depression were recorded among piglets fed CGSR+W and CR (p<0.05). In the restricted phase, consumption of CGSR+AW resulted in higher daily feed intake (DFI) (p<0.05), while piglets in the free-choice phase showed a higher DFI and spent more time consuming CR, with a 56.39% preference (p<0.05). Rehydrated corn grain silage promoted feed acceptability and performance of piglets in the first weeks post-weaning.

Effect of Using Ensilaged Corn Wet Distillers’ Grains Plus Solubles (WDGS) as a Partial Replacement for Concentrated Feed for Wet Lot Fed Fatteners during Fattening on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Pork Quality

“…Ensiling also provides the possibility to utilize feeds that may have been unheard of in pig feeding and nutrition. Apart from WDGS, feeds such as grass [19], corn grains [20] and other agricultural by-products [21] can be easily ensilaged and used as pig feed. It is highly likely that with time those feeds will become even more popular and omnipresent in the liquid feeding of pigs.…”