Inclusion of grass/clover silage in diets to growing/finishing pigs – Influence on performance and carcass quality

Effects of grass/clover silage on growing/finishing pig performance and carcass quality were evaluated. In total, 128 pigs were fed either commercial feed + chopped silage mixed and fed together (SM), commercial feed + intact silage fed separately (SS), commercial feed + dried ground silage, mixed a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta agriculturae Scandinavica. Section A, Animal science Animal science, 2014-07, Vol.64 (3), p.145-153
Main Authors: Wallenbeck, A, Rundgren, M, Presto, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
carcass quality
diet
energy
feed conversion
Feeds
finishing
Fish
Genetics and Breeding
Genetik och förädling
grasses
growth
Hogs
lean meat
roughage
silage
Swine
swine feeding
weight gain
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Summary:Effects of grass/clover silage on growing/finishing pig performance and carcass quality were evaluated. In total, 128 pigs were fed either commercial feed + chopped silage mixed and fed together (SM), commercial feed + intact silage fed separately (SS), commercial feed + dried ground silage, mixed and pelleted (SP), or commercial feed alone as a control treatment (C). Silage inclusion level was 20% on an energy basis. From 30 to 110 kg, C and SP pigs had the highest weight gain, while carcasses of SM and SS pigs had higher lean meat content. Based on the consumption of commercial feed, pigs fed silage (SM, SS and SP treatments) had better feed conversion ratio. Although pigs in the silage treatments were fed 20% less commercial feed on an energy basis compared with control pigs, their weight gain was only 5%–15% lower. This indicates that grass/clover silage can contribute with parts of the nutrient supply to pigs.
ISSN:1651-1972
0906-4702
1651-1972
DOI:10.1080/09064702.2015.1006668