Protein and energy retention in pigs fed diets containing sepiolite

Forty-two castrated male hybrid (Hypor) pigs body weight (12 kg BW) were us ed to investigate the effects of the dietary inclusion of sepiolite at the level of 20 g kg(-1) of sepiolite on protein and energy balance of growing pigs. Six pigs were slaughtered at the start of the test to determine the i nitial dry matter, protein, lipid, ash, and energy content of the empty bod y. The remaining 36 pigs were split into two groups: a control group was fe d a basal diet and a sepiolite group was fed the basal diet with 20 g kg(-1 ) added sepiolite (Exal(R)). Six pigs from each treatment were killed at 35 and at 100 kg body weight (BW) to determine dry matter, protein, lipids, a sh and energy content of the carcasses. The inclusion of sepiolite did not influence, either average daily gain or feed conversion ratio. During the 1 2 to 35 kg BW phase, pigs on the sepiolite diet had improved (P < 0.05) ene rgy and protein retention coefficients. The inclusion of 20 g kg(-1) sepiol ite during the overall trial improved protein and energy retention by 6.1% and energy retention by 5.3% compared with the control group. (C) 1999 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.