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Performance of Early Weaned Piglets Fed Diets Containing Various Amounts of Whey Protein Concentrate^1,2,

Université Laval, Québec, Canada G1K 7P4

Abstract

A 6-wk feeding trial was conducted using 84 crossbred weanling piglets, 3 to 4 wk of age, to investigate the feeding value of whey protein concentrate (WPC). The WPC was included in isonitrogenous and isocaloric corn-soybean meal diets at the rate of 16.2 or 33.7% on a dry matter basis. A corn-soybean-fishmeal diet of same nitrogen content was used as control. Piglets were penned on a slatted floor in groups of four and pair-fed slurries twice daily. Pair-feeding was adjusted every week according to the average body weight of all piglets, irrespective of treatments. Piglets fed both WPC diets grew faster than controls. Feeding WPC improved feed-to-gain ratios by about 40%, from the second week to the end of the trial. Because of the pair-feeding technique used, feed intake, expressed as percent of body weight, was 6.2% for controls and 5.0% (P<.05) for WPC-fed piglets. Although WPC increased incidence of diarrhea during the first 2 wk, there was no case of severe or frothy diarrhea, nor mortality. Including WPC up to 33.7% of the dry matter in corn-soybean diets appears to have a positive effect on performance of early weaned piglets.

¹ This work was made possible through contract No. OSZ83-0063 Canadian Dairy Commission and Canada Dept. of Agr.

² The authors acknowledge the collaboration and assistance of Pierre Castonguay and his staff for technical assistance.

³ Departement de Zootechnie and Centre de Recherche en Nutrition, Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada G1K 7P4.

⁴ Laiterie Etchemin Inc., 282, 3rd Ave., Lac Etchemin, Quebec, Canada GOR 1SO.

⁵ Canada Dept. of Agr., Res. Sta., Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada.