Growth Performance of Weaner Pigs Fed Enzyme Supplemented High Fibre Diets

Abstract

The effect of rice bran supplemented with xylanase enzyme on the growth performance of weanling pigs was determined in a 35-day feeding trial using thirty-two large white x Duroc weaner pigs with mean body weight of 10.2±0.3kg. Weaner pigs were assigned to four diets (CP= 18%) in which rice bran and xylanase was included at 0% (0g), 30% (50g), 30% (100g) and 30% (150g) dietary levels in a completely randomized design. Weaner pigs were randomly divided into four groups of 8 pigs. Each group was sub-divided into four replicates of 2 pigs/ replicate and assigned to the experimental diets respectively. Data collected revealed that weaner pigs on the control diet (T₁) recorded the best performance in all the parameters measured while pigs on enzymes supplemented high fibre based diets showed significantly (P< 0.05) lower performance in all the growth indices measured. Again, the cost of feed to produce a kilogram pork significantly (P<0.05) increased linearly as dietary levels of xylanase enzyme increased in fibre based diets. The result of this study indicated that pigs on rice bran based diets were unable to metabolize the nutrients compact in these diets probably because of the resistance imposed by the NSP components. Rice bran should not be included upto 30% in the ration of weanling pigs for optimum degradation and metabolism.