Abstract
This experiment was conducted to study the effects of replacing corn with Chinese brown rice on performance and apparent fecal digestibility of nutrients in weanling pigs. Seventy-two cross-bred (Duroc×Landrace×Large White) weanling pigs, weighing an average of 7.38±0.06 kg, were randomly assigned to either a corn-soybean meal diet (treatment 1), a corn-brown rice- soybean meal diet (treatment 2) and a brown rice-soybean meal diet (treatment 3). The brown rice used in this experiment was husked from one kind of early, long grain, non-glutinous rice (ELGNR, indica rice). The growth performance of weanling pigs in the experiment was similar during weeks 1 and 2, but feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly better in treatment 2 during weeks 3 and 4. During week 2, only the digestibility of organic matter in treatments 2 and 3 was significantly higher than that in treatment 1. During week 4, the digestibility of gross energy, ether extract, organic matter and dry matter in brown rice treatment, especially in treatment 3, were significantly higher than in treatment 1. At the end of the experiment, the concentration of serum urea nitrogen of pigs in treatment 2 was lower than that in treatment 1 and 3 and no difference was found in serum glucose and phosphorus. It could be concluded from this experiment that replacing 50% of corn with brown rice in the corn-soybean meal diet caused no negative effects to weanling pig performance, and apparent fecal digestibility was unaffected. It is feasible to replace corn with brown rice in weanling pig diets in southern China. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2002. Vol 15, No. 8 : 1191-1197)
Highlights
Corn is a widely used feedstuff in animal diets in many countries while rice is mainly used as a human foodstuff in many areas of the world
It has been documented that the performance of growing-finishing pigs was not affected when brown rice (ELGNR) was used as a feedstuff compared with corn (Gao et al, 1993; He et al, 2000)
There is little research on using brown rice in new weanling pig diets. The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of Chinese brown rice used in newly weaned piglet diet, and to observe the feasibility of using brown rice as energy feed for weanling pigs
Summary
Corn is a widely used feedstuff in animal diets in many countries while rice is mainly used as a human foodstuff in many areas of the world. Wu et al (1986) reported that feeding polished rice (white rice) to growing pigs appeared feasible in growth. In order to increase the digestibility of the nutrients and the palatability of paddy rice, it is effective to husk the hull first before the diet is manufactured. It has been documented that the performance of growing-finishing pigs was not affected when brown rice (ELGNR) was used as a feedstuff compared with corn (Gao et al, 1993; He et al, 2000). There is little research on using brown rice in new weanling pig diets. The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of Chinese brown rice used in newly weaned piglet diet, and to observe the feasibility of using brown rice as energy feed for weanling pigs
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