Comparative digestibility of energy and nutrients in diets fed to sows and growing pigs
It is well documented from European experiments that DE, ME, and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients is greater in gestating sows fed close to the maintenance requirement than in growing pigs allowed ad libitum access to diets. Therefore, there is a need in North America to generate separate digestibility values for gestating sows and growing pigs as only 1 energy value is used to feed all categories of pigs. The objective of this research was to determine DE and ME values and ATTD of energy and nutrients in 11 diets fed to both growing pigs and gestating sows. Three diets were based on corn, wheat, or sorghum, and 8 diets were based on a combination of corn and soybean meal, canola meal, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and low-fat DDGS, corn germ meal, corn bran, wheat middlings, and soybean hulls. A total of 88 gestating sows (parity 2 to 6) and 88 growing barrows (40.1 ± 4.69 kg BW) were used and randomly allotted to the 11 diets with 8 replicate pigs per diet. Fecal and urine samples were collected for 4 d following a 19 d adaptation period. The DE, ME, and ATTD of GE, ADF, NDF, and CP in all diets were calculated. Gestating sows had greater (P < 0.05) ATTD of GE and CP, and DE values (as-fed and DM basis) for all diets compared with growing pigs. Gestating sows also had greater (P < 0.05) ME values (as-fed and DM basis) for the 3 grain diets and the diets containing soybean meal, canola meal, and DDGS than growing pigs. No differences were observed in ATTD of ADF and NDF between gestating sows and growing pigs for any of the diets. The ATTD of GE and CP, and DE values in gestating sows may be predicted from the values obtained in growing pigs. Results of this research indicate that apparent digestibility values of CP and GE obtained in gestating sows are greater than values obtained in growing pigs, but apparent digestibility of fiber obtained in growing pigs is not different from digestibilities in gestating sows.
energy, digestibility, gestation, growing pigs, fiber, pigs
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign