EVALUATION OF A HIGH-PROTEIN CULTIVAR OF OATS (HINOATS) AS A FEED FOR SWINE

Abstract

Oats (Avena sativa L. cv. Hinoats, 14.6% crude protein, 4.66 Mcal GE/kg) were tested in digestion and feeding trials with growing–finishing pigs from 23 to 91 kg body weight. Up to 57 kg, groups of six crossbred pigs (3 male, 3 female) in a 3 × 3 factorial experiment were fed supplemented diets of Hinoats meal, Hinoats pellets or 2/3 Hinoats:1/3 wheat, each with one of three supplements: either 0.2% lysine plus 0.05% methionine, or with half levels of these amino acids plus 2% soybean meal, or 6% soybean meal. At 57 kg, the pigs were assigned from each grower ration to one of three finisher rations, these being the three grower rations supplemented only with amino acids. Feeding was allowed for three 1-h periods daily up to 57 kg body weight and for two 1-h periods thereafter. Pigs of 23–57 kg fed pellets had greater daily feed intakes than pigs fed meal or the meal ration containing wheat (1.90, 1.70, 1.77 kg, respectively) and grew faster (0.69, 0.60, 0.60 kg/day, respectively). From 57 kg body weight, performance was not affected by previous diet but pigs fed pellets ate more and grew faster than the others. Hinoats rations were efficiently utilized by the pigs. In separate digestion trials, Hinoats energy and protein were found to be 72 and 82% digestible, respectively.