Performance of growing-finishing pigs fed barley-based diets supplemented with normal or high-fat oat

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare a high-fat oat recently developed at the University of Saskatchewan with regular oat as energy sources for use in diets fed to growing-finishing pigs. Seventy crossbred pigs (Pig Improvement Canada Ltd, Acme, AB) weighing an average of 27.5 ± 2.6 kg were assigned on the basis of sex, weight and litter to one of five dietary treatments in a factorial design experiment. The main effects tested included oat type (normal and high fat), level of oat inclusion (0, 25 and 50%) and sex of pig (barrows and gilts). Digestibility coefficients for dry matter (P = 0.002), crude protein (P = 0.001) and gross energy (P = 0.004) were significantly higher for pigs fed high-fat oat compared with normal oat. Pigs fed the high-fat oat also gained weight significantly faster (P = 0.01) and with increased efficiency (P = 0.01) compared with pigs fed diets containing normal oat. Oat level did not affect pig performance (P > 0.05). Neither type of oat nor level of inclusion had any significant (P > 0.05) effects on any carcass trait including dressing percent, carcass value index, lean yield, loin fat or loin lean. In conclusion, feeding diets containing a recently developed high-fat oat to pigs improved growth rate and efficiency of feed conversion compared with feeding diets containing normal-fat oat. Nutrient digestibility also improved with no negative effects on carcass quality. High-fat oat is an attractive alternative to normal oat as an energy source for growing-finishing pigs and can be fed at higher levels than are currently recommended for normal oat without hindering pig performance. Key words: Swine, high-fat oat, digestibility, growth, carcass composition