Effects of Dietary Corn Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles Withdrawal on Finishing Pig Performance and Carcass Characteristics

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of removing corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) at increasing intervals before harvest on finishing pig performance and carcass characteristics. For Exp. 1, 985 finishing pigs [initially 219 ± 5.5 lb body weight (BW)] were used in a 28-d growth study. There were 12 pens per treatment with 19 to 21 pigs per pen. There were four treatments decreasing in duration of withdrawal of DDGS from diets before final marketing: 28, 21, 14, or 0 d withdrawal. Regardless of treatment, pens of pigs were topped according to a typical summer marketing strategy with one top prior to final barn dump. All pens were topped by removing the 17% heaviest pigs on d -21 resulting in a final barn dump of approximately 83% of starting barn inventory. Overall, there was no evidence for effects of DDGS withdrawal time on final BW, average daily feed intake (ADFI), or feed efficiency (F/G; P > 0.111); however, as withdrawal time increased, average daily gain (ADG) linearly increased (P = 0.022) and iodine value decreased (linear, P = 0.001). There was no evidence for treatment differences for hot carcass weight (HCW) or loin depth (P > 0.106); however, dressing percentage was linearly increased (P = 0.001) with increased withdrawal time. Backfat depth was also decreased (quadratic; P = 0.019) and percentage lean increased (quadratic; P = 0.033) as DDGS withdrawal time increased. Feed cost and gain value were increased (linear, P < 0.020) resulting in a marginally significant (P < 0.100) increase in income over feed cost (IOFC) with increased withdrawal duration.