Evaluating the Effects of Fish Solubles in Whole Fish Meal on Nursery Pig Performance

A total of 700 barrows (Line 200×400, DNA, Columbus, NE; initially 6.5 kg) were used in a 21-d growth trial evaluating the effects of fish solubles in whole fish meal on nursery pig performance. Pigs were weaned at approximately 21-d of age, placed in nursery pens according to BW, and fed a common pelleted starter diet for 3-d, at which time pigs were weighed and pens were allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with 5 pigs/pen and 28 pens/treatment. Dietary treatments included a corn soybean meal-based control diet and 4 diets containing 6% fishmeal (LT Prime Menhaden Fishmeal Daybrook Fisheries Inc., New Orleans, LA). One batch of fish meal contained 0.87% fish solubles and the second batch contained 24.35% solubles. The 2 batches were then blended to provide dietary treatments with fish meal containing 0.87, 8.70, 16.52, and 24.35% fish solubles. A composite sample from each batch of fish meal was collected and analyzed for AA content and proximate analysis and used in diet formulation. Dietary treatments contained 10% spray-dried whey and formulated to contain 1.35% standardized ileal digestible Lys and balanced on an NE basis (2,502 kcal/kg). Net energy values from the 2012 NRC were used for the high solubles fish meal as the fat level was similar. For the lower soluble fish meal diets, choice white grease was used to balance based on added fat. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design using the proc GLIMMIX procedure in SAS with pen as the experimental unit. Overall (d 0 to 21), there was no evidence for differences observed for ADG, ADFI, G:F, or final BW as the amount of fish solubles in fish meal increased. However, pigs fed diets with fish meal regardless of the fish soluble amount had increased (P<0.05) ADG, ADFI, and final BW compared to pigs fed the control diet without fish meal. In conclusion, our results suggest that level of fish solubles contained within fish meal does not impact growth performance.

							P <1
	Control	Fish Solubles, %					Control vs.
		0.87	8.70	16.52	24.35	SEM	Fish meal
d 0 to 21
ADG, g	293	322	309	322	321	14.9	0.001
ADFI, g	412	442	431	447	449	13.9	0.001
G:F	0.711	0.729	0.717	0.722	0.716	0.0133	0.258
Final BW, kg	12.7	13.2	13.1	13.4	13.3	0.15	0.001

¹Fish solubles%, not different (P>0.10) for all growth criteria.