Performance of starter pigs fed diets based on malted and fermented maize

Abstract

Abstract
Two growth trials involving crossbred (Large White x Landrace) starter pigs were conducted to compare performance and cost of feeding malted (MTD), fermented (FTD), fermented maize after malting (M&F) and unprocessed (CM) maize based diets. In the first trial, 64 pigs of four-to-six weeks of age weighing 6.14±1.3kg were allotted to sixteen groups of four balanced for sex and weight in a CRD consisting of four treatments and four replicates. Apparent digestibilityof diets were determined. In the second trial, 60 piglets were weaned at 4, 5, 6 and 8 weeks of age using FTD diets (which exhibited the best performance and gross margins in trial 1) and their performance followed up to 8 weeks of age.

Processing had no effect on the levels of CP, P and Ca. Fermentation, malting and fermenting malted maize increased the ash content of maize by 31, 26 and 4 percent respectively. Processing reduced digestible energy of maize by 121, 141 and 178 Kcal/kg respectively in malted, fermented and maize fermented after malting respectively. ADFI and ADG varied in a descending order of 0.726, 0.642, 0.554, 0.527 kg/day and 0.276, 0.244, 0.199, 0.158 kg/day for pigs fed on MTD, FTD, M&F and CM respectively. Feed conversion ratio was similar across all the diets. Apparent digestibility coefficient of DM differed but for CP, it was similar across treatments. These data indicate that using fermented maize in diets of starter pigs results in higher performance and reduced feed cost. Malted maize can be used for piglets of low weaning weights because of its ability to stimulate intake although at a higher cost. Increasing weaning age increased piglet performance. Weaning piglets at five weeks resulted in similar ADG as obtained when weaning is post-poned to 8weeks of age. Malted and fermented maize based diets are appropriate for weaning piglets as early as five weeks of age instead of the usual eight weeks and improve post-wean performance at low costs.