Idi. Yaakugh et al., REPLACEMENT VALUE OF BREWERS DRIED GRAIN FOR MAIZE ON PERFORMANCE OF PIGS, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 66(4), 1994, pp. 465-471
Twenty four crossbred (Landrace x Large White) barrows and gilts of av
erage initial weight of 52.0 kg liveweight were used to evaluate the r
eplacement value of brewers' dried grain (BDG) for maize in diets of p
igs. Animals were randomly allotted to pens and treatments in a random
ised block design trail. The treatments were (a) 15% crude protein fin
isher diet and diets in which BDG replaced (b) 15%, (c) 30%, and (d) 4
5% of the maize. Pigs were slaughtered on attaining 90 +/- 2.5 kg live
weight and carcass data collected. Pigs fed the control diet took shor
ter time to attain final slaughter weight (P < 0.01) and time taken to
attain slaughter weight increased linearly as the level of BDG increa
sed in the diet. The feed intake of pigs decreased linearly (P < 0.01)
as the level of maize replaced by BDG increased. However, feed:gain r
atio was not significantly different between treatments. The carcass y
ield (chilled and warm) and body measurements (body length, chest girt
h and loin girth) were not significantly affected by the dietary treat
ments. The percentages of shoulder, loin and belly were not significan
tly affected by the level of BDG feed. However, the percentage ham inc
reased quadratically as the level of BDG replacing maize increased. Th
e loin-eye area and the trimmed carcass yield were not significantly d
ifferent between treatments. The backfat thickness of pigs decreased n
on-significantly as the level of BDG increased in the diet of pigs. Th
e organ weights of finisher pigs did not present any clear-cut picture
. However, the liver weights of pigs fed high levels of BDG were signi
ficantly less when compared to the control.