Meffeja et al., 2007. Livest. Res. Rural Dev., 19 (2): 18
Influence de la substitution du tourteau de coton par le tourteau de palmiste dans l'alimentation des porcs en croissance finition
Twenty five piglets crossed Landrace x Large White (13 males and 12 females) from 2.5 months old and averaging initial body weight of 22.3 ± 0.2 kg were used to evaluate the effects of replacing dietary cotton seed cake with palm kernel cake on the growth performances of growing finishing pigs. The piglets were randomly allotted into five treatments with five replicates and individually fed with diets in which the quantity of protein provided by cotton seed cake (control diet) was replaced by 25, 50, 75 and 100 % of that supplied by palm kernel cake during 97 experimental- day periods. Performance evaluations were based on daily feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, protein and energy efficiencies, the cost of feed to produce one kg of live weight gain and carcass characteristics.
Results obtained did not reveal any significant difference (p> 0, 05) between treatments on daily feed intake, daily weight gain, protein efficiency and feed cost to produce one kg live weight gain. However, feed conversion ratio, energy efficiency and final mean bodyweight of pigs receiving control diet, 25 and 50% of the quantity of protein provided by palm kernel cake were significantly higher (p<0,05) than those receiving 75 and 100%. Carcasses of pigs receiving control diet, 25 and 50% of the quantity of protein provided by palm kernel cake were significantly (p< 0,05) fatter than those receiving 75 and 100%.
The synthesis of results shows that the quantity of protein provided by cotton seed cake can be replaced by that of palm kernel cake up to 50% without negative effects on growing finishing pig performances.