A nutritional evaluation of diets containing meat meal for growing pigs. 7. The value of meat meal as a potein supplement to barley, oats, sorghum and wheat based diets

Abstract

The comparative value of meat meal as a protein supplement to barley, oats, sorghum, and wheat-based diets was investigated for pigs during the 18-45 kg growth phase. Diets were offered at the rate of 129 kcal digestible energy and 7 g crude protein per kg liveweight per day. Two methods of estimating digestible energy in the diets were also examined. The major differences recorded (Pt0.05) were : Growth rates-Wheat barley and sorghum, oats and barley sorghum. Feed conversion ratios-Wheat barley: oats and sorghum. Protein efficiency ratios-Wheat and oats barley sorghum. Lean in ham-Oats and barley sorghum and wheat. When the magnitude of all differences was considered the results indicated that the protein quality of the sorghum-meat meal diet was lower than that of the other three diets. The correlation between digestible energy values estimated by two methods (energy in feed X dry matter digestibility) and (energy in feed-energy in faeces/feed intake) was significant (r = 0.98)