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Effects of hard red winter wheat particle size on finishing pig growth performance and caloric efficiency
A total of 288 pigs (43.8 kg BW) were used in an 83-d trial to determine the effects of hard red winter wheat particle size on finishing pig growth performance and caloric efficiency. Caloric efficiency (CE) was calculated using the ingredient energy values from NRC (2012) ME and INRA (2004) NE. Pigs were allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments with 6 pens/treatment and 8 pigs/pen. The same wheat-soybean meal–based diets were used for all treatments. Diets were fed in mash form. The 3 dietary treatments included hammer-mill ground wheat to particle sizes of: 1) 728; 2) 579; and 3) 326 µm, respectively. From d 0 to 40, decreasing wheat particle size decreased (linear; P<0.03) ADFI (2.29, 2.24, 2.20 kg), but improved (quadratic; P<0.01) G:F (0.400, 0.413, 0.409) and CE (7.89, 7.65, 7.72 Mcal ME/kg) and (5.84, 5.66, 5.71 Mcal NE/kg) basis, with no change (P>0.24) in ADG (0.92, 0.93, 0.90 kg/d). From d 40 to 83, decreasing wheat particle size increased (quadratic; P<0.01) ADG (0.92, 0.90, 0.95 kg/d), and improved (linear; P<0.01) G:F (0.319, 0.322, 0.336) and CE (9.92, 9.83, 9.44 Mcal ME/kg and 7.45, 7.38, 7.08 Mcal NE/kg), with no change (P>0.23) in ADFI (2.87, 2.80, 2.84). Overall from d 0 to 83, reducing wheat particle size improved (linear; P<0.01) G:F and CE on both an ME and NE basis, with no difference in ADG or ADFI. Fine grinding wheat was detrimental to feed intake in early finishing but improved ADG in late finishing and G:F for both periods and overall.
Effects of hard red winter wheat particle size on finishing pig growth performance and caloric efficiency |
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Wheat particle size, µm |
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Probability P < |
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d 0 to 83, |
728 |
579 |
326 |
SEM |
Linear |
Quadratic |
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ADG, kg |
0.92 |
0.91 |
0.93 |
0.01 |
0.47 |
0.50 |
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ADFI, kg |
2.59 |
2.53 |
2.53 |
0.03 |
0.13 |
0.43 |
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G:F |
0.354 |
0.361 |
0.367 |
0.002 |
0.01 |
0.82 |
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Caloric efficiency, Mcal/kg gain |
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ME |
8.94 |
8.76 |
8.62 |
0.06 |
0.01 |
0.75 |
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NE |
6.67 |
6.53 |
6.43 |
0.05 |
0.01 |
0.75 |
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Keywords: finishing pig, particle size, wheat