The nutritional value of differently prepared barley in growing-finishing pigs

The nutritional value of diets containing differently prepared barley was d etermined in two experiments. Barley grain was prepared in the following wa ys: hammer milled to medium fine (MH, 900 mum) or fine particles (FH, 600 m um), rolled Oil, fine milled and expanded (E). Experiment 1 was conducted o n 36 barrows, 28-95 kg BW (9 animals per treatment), fed individually using a ration system. Experiment 2 was carried out on 48 pigs (6 barrows and 6 gilts per treatment), 30-100 kg BW, maintained in groups and fed ad libitum . Daily weight gains, feed utilization and stomach lesions were determined in Experiments 1 and 2. In Experiment 1, nutrient and energy digestibilitie s were also assayed. It was found that the digestibility of protein (by 3.3 units), fat and ener gy (P <0.05) were better in the FH than in the MH diet and that the FH diet , and contained about 0.5 MJ/kg more metabolizable energy. The digestibilit y of diet R was also a slightly better (P >0.05) and contained more metabol izable energy than MH. The way of preparing barley had a greater effect on growth rate and feed utilization (P>0.05) in Experiment 2 in the pigs that were maintained in lots, fed ad libitum and gained about 900 g daily than i n Experiment 1 in which pigs were fed rations according to standards and ga ined about 700 g. For the faster growing pigs, rolled and expanded barley h ad a somewhat greater nutritional value (daily gains 937 and 936 g), medium -fine milled barley had a lower value (865 g). A greater frequency of oesophageal parakeratosis was; found in pigs fed the diets containing fine milled and fine milled and expanded barley.