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Utilization of Corn and Wheat in Diets of Pigs Weaned at 7 Days of Age

University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to examine the use of cereals as replacement ingredients for milk products in meal diets for pigs weaned at 7 days. In the first experiment, 24 Yorkshire pigs with an average weight of 2.77 kg were fed diets containing 38% dried whey or either 30% corn or 30% wheat at the expense of whey. Average daily gains and daily feed intake over three 5-day periods were similar for all treatment groups, but daily gains adjusted for feed intake were lower for the whey-fed animals. Dry matter, organic matter, energy and ash digestibilities were higher (P<.05) for the whey diet than for those containing wheat or corn, but there were no differences in protein digestibility. Corn and wheat proved to be acceptable substitutes for whey in this phase of the experiment. The influence of the presence of cereals or whey in the previous diet on the subsequent performance of the animals was investigated by the feeding of a common starter diet for three additional 5-day periods. The previous diet had no influence on subsequent animal performance. In the second experiment, 30 Yorkshire pigs with an average weight of 2.77 kg were used to determine the maximum level of dietary corn compatible with acceptable performance. The pigs were fed diets containing 30, 45 or 60% corn at the expense of dried buttermilk for three 5-day periods. Daily gains, feed intake and nutrient digestibility decreased linearly (P<.05) with increases in the level of dietary corn, but gains adjusted for feed intake decreased only at the highest corn level. There was evidence that the animals were adapting to their diets, and, by the end of the experiment, the pigs fed the diet with 45% corn were gaining as well as, but with less feed than, those fed the 30% corn diet.

¹ Dept. of Anim. and Poul. Sci.

² This research was supported by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.