Performance, Cost Benefit, Carcass Quality and Organ Characteristics of Pigs Fed High Graded Levels of Brewers` Dried Grain Diets in the Humid Tropics

Abstract

Twenty-four (Landrace x Large white) weaner pigs with average live weight of 6.36 kg (6.25-6.50 kg) were used to evaluate the performance, cost benefit, carcass quality and organ characteristics of pigs fed high graded levels of brewers` dried grain (BDG) diets in the humid tropics. The diets contained 0, 30, 35 and 40% BDG in Treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The experiment was in a completely randomized design (CRD) with each treatment replicated three times. Live weight, weight gain, feed and protein intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) were measured. Other measurements were feed cost of weight gain, gross margin, warm dressed weight, carcass and organ characteristics. Results showed that weaner pigs fed 40% BDG diet had significantly (P< 0.05) higher protein intake (113.65 g) than others, while increasing levels of BDG in the diets significantly (P< 0.05) decreased feed cost at the weaner stage. At the grower stage, pigs fed 35% BDG diet had weight gain, FCR and PER values similar to those fed control diet, while BDG diets significantly affected back fat (1st rib) thickness, carcass length and percent spleen. It was concluded that weaner pigs could be fed 40% BDG diet to reduce feed cost, without adverse effect on growth performance. At the grower stage, the optimum inclusion level of BDG in the pig`s diet should be 35%, although 40% BDG diet could be fed to reduce feed cost without adverse effect on carcass quality and organ characteristics of the pigs.