Propionic acid-treated barley in the diets of bacon pigs

Abstract

SUMMARYGrowth performance and carcass quality (linear measurements) were studied in pigs grown from 25 to 90 kg on barley stored and prepared in different ways. Half the barley was dried to about 14% moisture content for storage and half was not dried but treated with 0·8% propionic acid. Each was given after hammer-milling (3·2 mm screen) or rolling. A total of 144 pigs was used at four centres.The performance and carcass quality of pigs given acid-treated barley were as good as those given dried barley. While feed utilization, expressed on the basis of air-dry feed, was poorer for pigs fed on acid-treated barley this difference disappeared when account was taken of the different moisture contents of the barley samples. Pigs fed on diets based on milled barley grew more quickly, had better feed utilization but greater fat measurements than pigs fed on rolled barley. There was a significant interaction between storage method and feed preparation (milling or rolling). Pigs given the acid-treated barley grew more quickly when it was in the milled form than when it was rolled, whereas for the dried barley there was a small, non-significant difference in favour of the rolled form.