Relationship between time spent eating and nutritionally related blood metabolites of growing pigs fed on diets containing graded levels of fibre

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between time spent on eating and nutritionally related blood metabolites in growing pigs fed on fibrous diets. Eighteen growing pigs (initial bodyweight 14.2 ± 1.20 kg) were used in a 5-week study period. The pigs were penned in metabolism crates and subjected to different treatment diets with maize cob included at 0, 80, 160, 240, 320 and 400 g/kg in a diet. Time spent eating and drinking was observed by use of video cameras. Blood was collected from the jugular vein at the end of the trial for determination of glycosylated haemoglobin, total protein, urea, uric acid, albumin and creatinine kinase concentrations. Glycosylated haemoglobin, albumin, globulin, total protein and uric acid concentrations in blood influence time spent eating (P < 0.05). Time spent eating increased linearly with an increase in uric acid, total protein, albumin and globulin concentrations and started decreasing at higher concentrations (P < 0.05). A negative relationship was observed between time spent eating and glycosylated haemoglobin concentration. There were curvilinear responses between time spent drinking and concentration of the nutritional metabolites (albumin, globulin and total protein) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the blood metabolites can be used to predict time spent eating by pigs fed on fibrous diets. They have a direct relationship with pigs’ nutritional status. The nature of the relationships may allow feed compounders to determine the quantity of maize cobs to include in diets by focusing on feeding patterns and metabolism of pigs.