PERFORMANCE OF WEANER AND GROWER PIGS FED DIETS CONTAINING GRADED LEVELS OF SOYBEAN HULL

ABSTRACT

Twenty-four weaner pigs were used in a study to evaluate the response  of  weaner  and  grower  pigs  to  diets  containing  graded levels   of   toasted   soybean   hull   (SBH).In   experiment   1(growing phase),  twenty-four  male  hybrid  (large  white  x  landrace)  weaner pigs,  about  6  weeks  old,  weighing  5.92-6.85kg  were  randomly divided into four groups of six pigs each using a completely randomized  design  (CRD).  Each  group  was  randomly  assigned  to one of the four diets (1, 2, 3 and 4) containing 0% (control), 10, 15 and 20% SBH for 56 days. Each treatment was replicated 3 times with 2 pigs per replicate placed on a concrete-floored pen. The diets were  formulated  to  be  isocaloric  and  isonitrogenous  supplying

2800kcal ME/kg and 18% crude protein. In experiment 2 (finishing phase),  twenty-four  male  hybrid  (large  white  x  landrace  )  grower pigs, about 14 weeks old, weighing   9.12-9.90kg were randomly divided into four groups of six pigs each using a completely randomized  design  (CRD).  Each  group  was  randomly  assigned  to one of the four diets (1, 2, 3 and 4) containing 0% (control), 10, 20 and 30% SBH for 56 days. Each treatment was replicated 3 times

with 2 pigs per replicate placed on a concrete-floored pen. The diets were  formulated  to  be  isocaloric  and  isonitrogenous  supplying

2900kcal ME/kg and 16% crude protein. Daily feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio and feed cost per kg weight gain were determined. At the end of each experiment,   blood   samples   were   collected   from   two   pigs   per treatment  for  haematological  evaluation.  Two  pigs  per  treatment were also slaughtered for carcass evaluation at the end of the finishing experiment.

In experiment 1, results showed that pigs fed the 10% SBH diet had higher(P<0.05)   average final body weight, average weight gain  and  better  efficiency  of  feed  conversion  than  those  fed  20% SBH diet. Increasing levels of SBH in the diets had no significant effect   (P>0.05)   on   the   PER   values.   Differences   between   the treatments in total digestible nutrients (TDN) were significant (P<0.05). Feed cost per kg weight gain was reduced at the 10% SBH inclusion level as compared to other SBH diets. Dietary treatments did not have adverse effect on the haematology of growing pigs. The overall performance  of  pigs fed  the  soybean hull  based diets was not inferior to that of pigs fed the control diet (0% SBH). In experiment 2, the 20% and 30% SBH diets supported superior final body weight gain and growth rate, better feed conversion   ratio,   higher   protein   efficiency   ratio,   average   daily protein intake and feed intake than the control diets(P<0.05). Inclusion of SBH in the diets reduced significantly (P<0.05) the cost of  feed  per  kg  weight  gain,  especially  at  the  30%  SBH  inclusion level. Pigs fed the control diets had comparable packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (Hb), red blood cell counts (RBC) ,white blood cell counts (WBC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) values with the groups on SBH diets. While dietary levels of SBH did not exert significant(P>0.05) influence  on  body  length,  height  at  withers,  lung  weight,  liver weight, spleen and pancreas weight; the heart girth circumference, heart weight, kidney weight, live body weight, and dressed carcass weight were all significantly (P<0.05)  affected by the   dietary levels of  SBH.  The  dressing  percentage,  relative  weights  of  lungs,  liver and spleen were also influenced significantly (P<0.05) by the dietary levels of SBH, while the relative weights of heart and kidney were not significantly (P>0.05) affected. It was concluded that toasted soybean hull can be included in the diet of weaner pigs at 20% level and in the diet of grower pigs at 30% level without adverse effects on the performance, haematological values, carcass and organ weights of the animals.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The scarcity of conventional feeds has hindered the growth of the livestock industry in Nigeria.The food deficit problem is indeed more serious with protein supply when compared with the availability of calories. Shortage of protein,  particularly  those  of  animal  origin  is  prevalent  in  most parts  of  Africa  where  it  is  estimated  that  on  the  average  10g  of animal protein is consumed per day compared to a recommended daily intake of 35g (ILCA, 1980, FAO, 1997). According to Obioha (1992)  and  Ogini  (2001),  the  level  of  consumption  of  meat  and animal  protein  in  Nigeria  is estimated  at  about  8g  per  caput  per day, about 20g less than the minimum requirement by the National Research Council of the United States of America. Therefore, there is the need, to increase the production of such domestic animals as pigs and poultry which are conventional sources of animal protein. Pig production in particular represents one of the fastest ways of increasing animal protein, since pigs grow at a faster rate and are highly more prolific than cattle, sheep and goats. In growth rate pig

is only surpassed by broilers (Holness, 2005). Apart from their high rate of reproduction, pigs and poultry are characterized by the best efficiency   of   nutrient   transformation   into   high   quality   animal protein (Smith, 2001; Holness, 2005).

Apart from the poultry industry, pig farming has the highest quick returns on investment. The high cost of the conventional feedstuff most especially the protein supplement, necessitated the quest for locally  available  alternatives  that  can  substitute  for  the conventional feedstuffs economically by reducing feeding cost, thereby  making  the  pig  enterprise  a  more  profitable  one  (EL- Sabben et al., 1970;Fontenot,1971). The alternative cheap and available feedstuff to be considered in this study is Soy bean hull. Soybean hulls referred to as soy hull, soybean mill-run or soybean flakes are by-products of soybean milling industry which do not attract competition between man and animals. Soybean hull is readily available when compared to other alternative sources of feed ingredient. Soybean hull has estimated feeding value of 74-80% of that of maize when included in moderate to high quantity in maize based diets (Esonu, 1998). It contains high level of potentially digestible fibre and can replace some or all grains in the diets of ruminants (Van Soest, 1985). Soybean hull contains 22.75% crude protein, 18.15% crude fibre, 14.60% ether extract, 8.0% ash and 20.90% nitrogen-free extract (Preston, 1989; Esonu et al., 1997; Esonu, 1998). However the utilization of soybean hull in the feeding of   monogastric animals   is limited by the presence of such anti- nutritional  factors  as  trypsin,  chymotrypsin  and  amylase inhibitors, lipoxygenase, hemagglutinin, phytic acid and the toxin, soyin and must be heat-treated to destroy them (Ensminger et al., 1996;   Enwere,   1998;   Holness,   2005).   Besides   anti-nutritional factors, another limitation is its high fibre content. Pigs cannot fully utilize  high fibre  diets because  they lack  the  digestive  framework that can elaborately digest large amount of fibre. Although there is scarcity of information on the utilization of soybean hull, soybean hull   has   an   acceptable   proximate   composition   and   occurs   in relative abundance in all seasons, it should be exploited and evaluated for inclusion in livestock diets.

1.1      Aim and Objectives

This  study  is  therefore;  aimed  at  evaluating  the  growth performance, cost implication, blood parameters and carcass characteristics  of  weaner  and  grower  pigs  fed  graded  levels  of soybean hull based diets.

The major objectives of the study are as follows:

i.        To determine the effects of graded levels of soybean hull on performance of weaner and grower pigs.

ii.       To determine the effects of graded levels of soybean hull on haematology, carcass and organ weights of grower pigs.

iii.      To determine the optimum inclusion level of soybean hull in the diet of weaner and grower pigs.

iv.      To determine the cost implication of feeding graded levels of soybean hull to weaner and grower pigs.

1.2     Statement of Problem

In many parts of Nigeria, fresh pork has a ready market. However, a  major  factor  militating  against  increased  pig  production  is  the cost of production. This is due partly to the cost of feed and feed ingredients. As a matter of fact, feed cost constitutes over 90% of pig farm recurrent expenditure. There is the need, therefore to develop sustainable low-cost investment management strategies for the production of pigs in Nigeria. The sustainability of the piggery sector of the Nigerian livestock industry will depend on the efficient utilization of highly nutritious feed ingredients in the diets of the animals.

1.3    Justification and Significance of the Study

The   high   cost   of   protein   feedstuff   such   as   fish   meal, groundnut   cake   and   soybean   cake,   coupled   with   the   high competition that exists between man and animal for maize and soybean for instance creates the need for maximizing the economic efficiency of conventional feeds utilization. This will be achieved by reducing  the  quantity  of  these  expensive  feedstuffs  and  making them up with non-conventional feed like the soybean hull which is a source of protein.

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