OAC WINTRI TRITICALE IN DIETS OF GROWING SWINE

Abstract

Two performance trials and two metabolism trials were conducted to evaluate the feeding value of two samples of OAC Wintri triticale for growing swine. The samples of triticale contained 15.5% (triticale A) or 10% (triticale B) protein on a dry matter basis. In trial 1, each sample replaced 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100% of protein from corn in a 15% protein (as-fed) corn-soybean meal diet. Diets had a constant soybean meal level and cornstarch was added as appropriate to make diets isonitrogenous. Each diet was fed to five individually penned pigs (average weight 22 kg). Forty-eight pigs were utilized in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of triticale sample (triticale A or triticale B), dietary protein (15 or 17%) and percent corn replaced (0, 50 or 100%) in trial 2. Soybean meal in diets was adjusted as appropriate to obtain a 15 or 17% protein diet. Daily gain (P < 0.10) and feed consumption (P < 0.05) were greater for pigs fed triticale B than triticale A in both experiments. While feed efficiency was not different between the two samples of triticale in trial 1, triticale B had better (P < 0.01) feed efficiency than triticale A in trial 2. The corn-soybean meal diet promoted faster gains and higher feed consumption (P < 0.05) than the triticale A-soybean meal diet. As the level of triticale A in the diets increased, daily gain, feed intake and feed efficiency declined in both trials. Digestible and metabolizable energy values (kcal g−1) declined (P < 0.01) linearly as level of triticale in the diet increased. Dry matter digestibility declined (P < 0.01) as the level of triticale increased in trial 2 and as the level of triticale B in diets increased in trial 1. There was no change in dry matter digestibility as the level of triticale A in diets increased in trial 1. Biological value and net protein utilization were lower (P < 0.01) for diets containing triticale A than triticale B. Level of triticale in diets did not affect apparent protein digestibility, biological value and net protein utilization (P > 0.10) in either trial. In a soybean-meal-supplemented diet, the energy value of triticale relative to corn appears to be about 90%. Key words: OAC Wintri triticale, digestibility, energy, pigs, performance, protein