GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY OF WEANER PIGS FED CEREAL OFFALS IN DIETS

Abstract

Twenty (20) weaned crossbred (Landrace × large white) pigs with an average body weight of 8.5±0.4 kg were used to evaluate performance and nutrient digestibility of weaned pigs fed five experimental diets containing cereal milling by-products. Diet 1 contained maize offal, while diets‟ 2, 3, 4 and 5 contained wheat offal, sorghum offal, millet offal and rice offal respectively. The animals werebalanced for sex and weight and  allotted to five dietary treatments and replicated four times in a completely randomized design. Data were collected on feed intake and weight gain for a period of eight weeks. A digestibility trial was carried at the end of the feeding trial using four pigs per treatment. Average daily weight gain ranged from 0.21kg/ day (T5) to 0.44kg/day in (T1). The result of growth performance and nutrient digestibility showed that average feed intake, final body weight as well as digestibility of dry matter, crude fibre, ether extracts, crude protein and ash were higher (P<0.05) for pigs fed T1, T2, T3 and T4, while those on T5 had the lowest growth and nutrient digestibility. It was concluded that maize offal, wheat offal, sorghum offal, millet offal can be used in weaner pigs‟ diet.