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Abstract:
The overall objectives of these experiments were to assess the quantitative effects of feeding increaseing dietary levels of corn DDGS to grower-finisher pigs on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and fat quality. The first study was to assess the effects of feeding corn-soybean meal based diets, with and without 10% corn dried distiller's grain with solubles (DDGS), to grower-finisher pigs on carcass quality and fatty acid profile of pork fat under commercial production conditions. Two cooperating pork producers with similar swine confinement finishing barns, the same genetic line, and similar health status were selected. One producer fed corn-soybean meal based diets (control, n = 1,021) while the other producer fed similar diets that contained 10% DDGS (DDGS, n = 991). Feeding diets containing 10% DDGs to grow-finish pigs increased the iodine value (IV) and linoleic acid (C18:2) content of pork belly fat, but fat quality would be acceptable based upon an iodine value standard of 70. The second study was to evaluate growth performance, carcass characteristics, and fat quality of grower-finisher pigs fed corn-soybean meal diets containing increasing levels of DDGS. A total of 512 pigs (22.1 ± 0.54 kg BW) were blocked into 2 groups and allotted to one of 4 dietary treatments in a completely randomized block design. Dietary treatments consisted of a corn-soybean meal control, or a corn-soybean meal diet containing 10%, 20%, or 30% DDGS. As the levels of dietary DDGS increased, average daily gain (ADG) was unaffected, but ADFI was linearly reduced while gain: feed (G:F) ratio increased linearly. Carcass dressing percentage, backfat depth, and belly firmness were reduced linearly when pigs were diets containing 0 to 30% DDGS. Linoleic acid (C18:2) concentration and IV of belly fat and backfat increased linearly in pigs fed increased dietary DDGS levels. Other measurements including subjective loin color score, drip loss, and ultimate pH of loin loin fat oxidation, fat Japanese color, and loin sensory test were not influenced by dietary DDGS level. The third study was conducted to determine quantitative effects of feeding diets containing 0, 15, and 30% corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), and DDGS withdrawal intervals, 0, 3, 6, and 9 wk, on growth performance, pork quality and pork fatty acid composition in grower-finisher pigs. A total of 432 pigs (29.8 ± 0.2 kg BW) were randomly allotted to one of 9 dietary treatment combinations according to a 2 × 4 plus one control in a completely randomized arrangement. The results demonstrated that inclusion rate of 30% corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in grower-finisher swine diet has minimal effects on ADG, ADFI and G:F. A lower belly firmness score was observed in pigs that received diets containing 30% DDGS compared to without a DDGS withdrawal interval compared to the control treatment, but belly firmness in pigs fed other treatment combinations was not different from pigs fed the control diet. Carcass quality, loin quality, and fat Japanese color score were not different in pigs DDGS diets with or without a withdrawal interval. Linoleic acid content (C18:2) and iodine value of belly fat increased with increasing DDGS level, whereas the content of C18:2 and the IV of belly fat was reduced linearly when DDGS withdrawn from the diet for 3 to 9 weeks pre-slaughter, and a desired effect of reducing C18:2 content and iodine value (less 70) of pork fat could be elicited in 3 wk after DDGS is withdrawn from the diet prior slaughter, as inclusion rate of DDGS up to 30% in grower-finisher diets. Overall, the results described in this dissertation supported that including corn dried distillers grain with solubles at concentrations up to 30% in grower-finisher swine diet is feasible.
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