The ability of piglets 4 to 8 weeks old to digest and perform on diets containing two contrasting sources of non-starch polysaccharide

Abstract

AbstractTwelve Large White × Landrace boars, initial mean live weight (kg) 5·51 (s.e. 0·8) were offered cereal-based diets containing 0 (diet C) or 150 g sugar-beet pulp per kg (containing no molasses or other additive) (diet 15SB) and the indigestible marker titanium dioxide from 21 to 57 days of age. The daily intakes, live-weight gains and food conversion ratios of the piglets were monitored from day 28. The apparent digestibilities of nitrogen (N), gross energy (GE) and non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) were measured on days 32 and 56. There were no significant differences either in voluntary intakes, or in the daily live-weight gains and food conversion ratios between the two diets. Likewise, there were no significant differences in the apparent digestibility of N and GE of the two diets. However, the capacity at 56 days of age to digest N from diet 15SB was greater than at 32 days of age. The apparent digestibility of total NSP at both 32 and 56 days of age was significantly greater for diet 15SB (averaging 0·75) than for diet C (averaging 0·54) (P < 0·001). The major NSP components of diet 15SB were arabinose, glucose and uronic acids, but the predominant NSP constituents of diet C were arabinose, xylose and glucose. The apparent digestibilities of arabinose (P < 0·05), mannose (P < 0·05), glucose (P < 0·05) and uronic acids (P < 0·001) were significantly greater from diet 15SB than from diet C. The apparent digestibility of NSP components from both diets tended to increase with age of piglet. These results are discussed in relation to the early establishment of an efficient gut microflora and indicate that the fermentative capacity of very young pigs may be higher than previously thought.