Energy Evaluation of Tallow and Oat Groats for Young Swine

Abstract

Two comparative slaughter experiments were conducted in a randomized block design to evaluate the energy availability of tallow or oat groats for the weanling pig. In each experiment, 16 weanling pigs were allotted randomly from litter outcome groups to four replications of four pens each. A basal corn-soybean meal diet was fed at 3% of BW daily. In addition, tallow was fed at 0, .33 and .75% of BW daily in Exp. 1. The ADG and feed: gain were improved (P < .01) as tallow was fed in addition to the basal diet. The apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) for DM increased (P < .05) with the addition of tallow. The daily gain of N, ether extract, energy (P < .01) and ash (P < .05) increased when tallow was fed. In addition to the basal diet fed at 3% of BW, oat groats were fed at 0, 1 and 2% of BW daily in Exp. 2. The ADG and feed:gain improved (P < .01) and the ADC for DM increased (P < .01) with the addition of oat groats to the basal diet. The daily gain of N, ether extract, energy and ash increased (P < .01) when oat groats were fed. The pooled energy values determined for tallow and oat groats in kcal/g of DM were, respectively: GE, 9.51, 4.73; DE, 8.24, 4.27; ME, 7.88, 4.04; N-corrected ME, 7.70, 3.84; and NE, 4.18, 2.52.