Energy value of wheat distillers grains with solubles for growing pigs and adult sows1

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2010-07, Vol.88 (7), p.2382-2392
• Main Authors: Cozannet, P., Primot, Y., Gady, C., Métayer, J. P., Lessire, M., Skiba, F., Noblet, J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal sciences; Digestive system; Grain; Hogs
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.2527/jas.2009-2510

Two experiments were conducted to determine the total tract digestibility of energy and the DE and ME values of 10 European wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) fed to growing pigs and adult sows. The wheat DDGS were obtained from European ethanol plants and selected to get a large variability. One control diet, based on wheat (87.2%), soybean meal (10.0%), and minerals and vitamins, and 10 experimental diets prepared from the control diet and 25% each of the 10 sources of DDGS, were fed to 66 crossbred barrows (6 per diet) according to a factorial arrangement or 6 adult sows according to a pseudo Latin square design. Animals were placed in metabolism cages that allowed for the total, but separate, collection of feces and urine for 8 to 10 d after a 7- to 11-d adaptation period. By subtracting the contribution from the control diet in the DDGS-containing diets (i.e., difference method), N and GE digestibilities and DE and ME values for each source of DDGS were calculated. The energy digestibility in wheat DDGS averaged 66.5% (56.3 to 76.0%) and 71.2% (59.7 to 78.2%) in growing pigs and adult sows, respectively. Consequently, average (range) DE values of DDGS were 14.0 (11.8 to 16.2) and 14.9 (12.5 to 16.4) MJ/kg of DM for growing pigs and adult sows, respectively. Our data show that DE content of wheat DDGS can be predicted from their ADF content or from the lightness score (L). By excluding the dark and overheated samples (L