Effect of different proportions of popped amaranth grain (Amaranthus cruentus) as an iron supplement in piglet diets on selected blood indicators

Abstract

The aim of our study was to compare the effect of various proportions of popped amaranth grain (Amaranthus cruentus) in piglet diets on selected blood indicators, such as red blood cell count (RBC), haematocrit (HCT), haemoglobin concentration (HB) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), but also growth efficiency (daily weight gain) and tissue morphology of the gastrointestinal tract. Altogether, 122 piglets (12 litters) were divided randomly into four groups (4 × 3 litters). Diet of the piglets in the control group was without popped amaranth grain. Starting from day 5 until day 90 of life, each of the three experimental groups was offered one of the feed mixtures containing different amounts of heat-treated popped amaranth grain: 20% (group A20), 40% (group A40), and 79% (group A79). When comparing the three experimental groups with the control group, in relation to the mean haemoglobin concentration and red blood cell count, higher values were measured in almost all periods of the piglets’ life, except for five-day-old piglets in the experimental groups. Only in 90-day-old piglets, group A79 tended to have a higher body weight compared to the control piglets. In summary, differences in haematologic indices which occurred between groups were inconsistent and of minor practical impact. With regard to the costs of theAmaranthusdiet, beneficial effects were not obvious.