EFFECT OF FIBER-RICH DIETS ON THE BACKFAT SKATOLE CONTENT OF ENTIRE MALE PIGS

The objective was to determine the effect of feeding diets differing i n fibre content and source on backfat skatole content and boar taint s core of entire male pigs. Sixty entire male pigs (Pietrain x Seghers h ybrid cross) were assigned to four dietary treatments and fed ad libit um, in two phases (grower and fattening), one of the following diets: control, one with 15% sugar beet pulp, one with 30% wheat bran and one with 15% soybean hulls. The diets were isocaloric and isonitrogeneous , but differed in crude fibre content and fibre source. Mean crude fib re contents were 5.2, 7.7, 6.2 and 9.9%, respectively. Animal performa nce, carcass quality, backfat skatole and indole contents and boar tai nt scores were not influenced by diet. However, the wheat bran diet gr oup gave a numerically (P = 0.219) higher backfat skatole content than the sugar beet pulp diet group (126 +/- 182 vs 37 +/- 54 ng/g fat; me an+/-S.D.). Under the experimental conditions, there was no higher ris k for skatole formation or boar taint occurrence by feeding fibre-rich diets to entire male pigs, compared with a conventional diet. (C) 199 8 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.