A note on propionic acid-treated barley of different moisture contents in the diets of growing pigs

Abstract

ABSTRACTGrowth and carcass traits were measured in pigs grown from 25 to 90 kg live weight on barley stored and prepared in different ways. Some of the barley was prepared in the conventional manner by drying to a moisture concentration of 140g/kg before hammer-milling. The remainder of the barley was rolled after treating batches, containing 140, 180 and 240 g moisture per kg, with propionic acid. A total of 128 pigs was used at three centres.There were no differences between the centres and no differences in the performance and carcass measurements of pigs given acid-treated and rolled, or untreated and milled barley, despite differences in physical form between the rolled and milled samples. When the intake of dry matter was equalized there was no apparent effect on the pigs of acid treatment of barley containing different amounts of moisture.