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Feed preference in pigs: Relationship with feed particle size and texture

D. Solà-Oriol^*, E. Roura and D. Torrallardona^*

^* Animal Nutrition-IRTA, E-43120 Constantí, Tarragona, Spain R&D Feed Additives, Lucta SA, E-08170 Montornés del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

David.Torrallardona{at}irta.es

Abstract

In previous studies, we have observed important differences in feed preference in pigs because of changes in only 1 dietary ingredient. The present experiment was conducted to study the relationship between the previously reported feed preference values of feeds and their particle size and texture characteristics. The effect of individual feed ingredients, added to a common basal diet, was studied. In addition to the basal diet containing rice, a soybean meal product containing 56% CP, sunflower oil, and wheat bran, a total of 126 diets were studied. Of these, 63 were prepared by replacing rice in the basal diet with another cereal, 29 by replacing the soybean product with different protein sources, 19 by replacing sunflower oil with different lipid sources, and 6 by replacing wheat bran with different fiber sources. Cereals were studied at inclusion rates of 150, 300, and 600 g·kg^-1, protein sources were studied at 50, 100, and 200 g·kg^-1, lipids were studied at 15, 30, and 100 g·kg^-1, and fiber sources were studied at 65 and 130 g·kg^-1. The particle size profile of all the diets was determined with a 9-screen sieve shaker. The geometric mean particle size (d_gw), particle size uniformity (s_gw), number of particles per gram, and surface area (cm²·g^-1), and % of fine (passing through a 250-µm sieve), and coarse particles (remaining in a 2,000-µm sieve) were calculated. The texture properties (hardness, fragility, chewing work, and adhesiveness) of the feeds were also determined with a texture analyzer. The Pearson’s correlation coefficients of these variables with feed preference were: d_gw (r = 0.07; P = 0.45), s_gw (r = 0.16; P = 0.07), number of particles per gram (r = -0.05; P = 0.61), surface area (r = -0.07; P = 0.46), % of coarse particles (r = 0.04; P = 0.65), % of fine particles (r = -0.12; P = 0.19), hardness (r = -0.21; P = 0.02), fragility (r = -0.20; P = 0.03), chewing work (r = -0.33; P < 0.001), and adhesiveness (r = 0.02; P = 0.78). It is concluded that the texture properties of the feed may explain in part the feed preferences observed in pigs; whereas, particle size characteristics have less impact.

Key Words: cereal • preference • particle size • pigs • texture