Diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of weaned pigs fed wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS)

• Published in: Animal feed science and technology 2016-08, Vol.218, p.26-32
• Main Authors: Wang, L.F., Beltranena, E., Zijlstra, R.T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Digestibility; Growth; Pig; Triticum aestivum; Wheat DDGS
• ISSN: 0377-8401; 1873-2216
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2016.05.005

•Wheat distillers dried grains and solubles (DDGS) is a co-product of the biofuel industry.•200g wheat DDGS/kg replaced 200g soybean meal (SBM)/kg in diets for weaned pigs starting 3 weeks post-weaning.•Increasing inclusion of wheat DDGS did not affect feed intake, but reduced growth and feed efficiency for weaned pigs.•Increasing inclusion of wheat DDGS reduced dietary protein and energy digestibility.•Dietary inclusion of wheat DDGS to replace SBM impacts older weaned pigs less than previously-reported younger weaned pigs. Biofuel co-products such as wheat distillers dried grains and solubles (DDGS) are used increasingly in swine feed to reduce feed cost. Wheat DDGS is rich in protein and phosphorus, thus may replace soybean meal (SBM) in swine diets. To explore, the effects of increasing inclusion of wheat DDGS by substituting SBM on diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of young pigs were evaluated. In total, 160 pigs (initial BW: 12.5±1.8kg) were involved in a 3-week trial. Five pelleted wheat-based diets including 0, 50, 100, 150 or 200g wheat DDGS/kg in substitution for up to 200g SBM/kg were fed. Diets were formulated to provide 9.8MJ net energy (NE)/kg and 1.16g standardised ileal digestible (SID) lysine/MJ NE. Diets were balanced for NE by increasing canola oil inclusion and for amino acids (AA) by increasing crystalline AA. Each 50g/kg increase in dietary inclusion of wheat DDGS linearly reduced (P