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Use of Cane Molasses in Swine Diets¹

University of Hawaii, Honolulu

Abstract

Two trials involving 78 growing pigs and two trials involving 32 gilts and sows were conducted (1) to determine if young pigs can use high level molasses diets when the molasses is adsorbed on bagasse without manifesting diarrhea, (2) to determine if adding fat to the molasses-bagasse diets will enhance their usefulness by young pigs and (3) to compare the effect of molasses, bagasse pith, fat diets with corn base diets on different classes of swine.

Pigs fed diets containing up to 49.8% molasses adsorbed on bagasse pith did not manifest diarrhea and gains were slower and less efficient in terms of either total feed or digestible energy than comparable pigs fed corn-type diets. Carcasses of the pigs fed high level molasses had less backfat and larger loin-eye areas.

The addition of fat at a level of 12.3% to the high molasses-bagasse pith diet increased the rate of gain of pigs over that of pigs fed molasses-bagasse pith diets without fat, but did not restore gains to the level of pigs fed corn base diets. When fat was added to the molasses-bagasse pith diets, pigs ate less feed but the digestible energy required per unit of feed was not changed.

Adding molasses at a low level, 10% of the diet, did not significantly alter rate of gain, efficiency of gain or backfat thickness.

Reproductive performance in terms of number of pigs born and pig size at birth was not altered in gilts by feeding a molasses, bagasse pith, fat diet during a 50-day development period and throughout gestation. The performance of mature sows fed this diet during gestation was equal to the performance of similar sows fed corn base diets. When these molasses, bagasse pith, fat diets were self fed to gilts and sows during lactation, however, feed consumption, hence baby pig growth, was lower than for similar gilts and sows fed corn base diets. Gilts and sows fed the molasses, bagasse pith, fat diets during lactation also lost more weight than similar animals fed corn base diets.

¹ Published with the appoval of the Director of the Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station as Technical Paper No. 830.

² The data were analyzed statistically by the statistics laboratory of the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station under the supervision of C. Y. Kramer.