Effect of rice offal® Supplementation on Growth Performance of Grower Pigs Fed Low or High Fibre Diets

Abstract

A 49-day feeding trial was conducted to determine the effects of fibre and Nutrase xyla^® enzyme supplementation on the growth performance of grower pigs. Sixteen Landrace x Large white cross bred pigs were used in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with 2 enzyme levels (0 and 100 ppm) and two dietary fibre levels (10 and 15%). Sixteen weaned crosses of Landrace x Large white piglets were used in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement having 2 enzyme levels (0 and 100 ppm) and 2 dietary fibre levels (10 and 15%). Four isonitrogenous (18% CP) experimental diets with marginal variation in caloric content tagged T₁, T₂, T₃ and T₄ were compounded. Treatments 1 and 2 contained 10% crude fibre level (low fibre), while treatments 3 and 4 contained about 15% crude fiber levels (high fibre). Treatments 1 and 3 served as the control diets for treatments 2 and 4, respectively. Performance data such as feed intake, initial weight and final weight were recorded and used to calculate weight gain, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, feed cost/kg and feed cost/unit weight gain. There were no significant (p>0.05) effects of dietary fibre levels and enzyme supplementation or their interactive effects on average daily feed intake, feed: gain ratio, protein efficiency ratio and feed cost per unit weight gain. The economic analyses revealed that the use of Nutrase xyla^® at 100ppm in these diets resulted in increased feed cost but higher level of dietary fibre reduced the cost of feed.