Effect of replacing soybean protein with protein from porcupine joint vetch (Aeschynomene histrix BRA 9690) and stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis Composite) leaf meal on growth performance of native (Moo Lath) Lao pigs.

The effect of replacing soybean crude protein (CP) with legume leaf meal (LLM) CP on feed intake, growth performance and carcass traits was studied in native female Moo Lath Lao pigs. The diets comprised one traditional diet (T) without soybean meal, one control diet (C) with soybean meal and six diets iso-nitrogenous with diet C in which soybean protein was replaced (33, 66 and 100 % of CP) with LLM CP from porcupine joint vetch (PLM) or Stylosanthes (SLM). Feed and water were offered ad libitum. Replacing soybean CP with LLM CP reduced (P < 0.05) intake of dry matter (DMI), CP (CPI), metabolisable energy (MEI), final body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG), but had no effect (P > 0.05) on feed conversion ratio (FCR). Increasing the replacement rate of soybean CP with LLM CP had a negative linear effect (P < 0.001) on DMI, CPI, MEI, final BW and ADG, and on all carcass traits except lean meat percentage. There were no differences in dressing percentage or organ weight and length between treatments. Supplementing diet T with soybean meal resulted in higher (P < 0.05) DMI, CPI and MEI, lower (P < 0.05) FCR, and higher (P < 0.05) final BW and ADG. Slaughter weight, hot carcass weight, eye muscle thickness, back fat, fat in carcass and lean meat were lower (P < 0.05) with diet T than diet C. In conclusion, LLM from stylo and porcupine joint vetch can be used as a CP source to partially replace soybean meal CP in the diet of growing native female Moo Lath Lao pigs.

Effects of high dietary sodium chloride content on performance and sodium and potassium balance in growing pigs.

Thirty castrated male Moo Lath pigs (6-8 weeks of age) were used in a 15-week growth trial to study the effect of high dietary sodium chloride (NaCl) content on feed and water intake, performance, sodium (Na) and potassium (K) balance, and plasma aldosterone concentration. The pigs were randomly allocated (ten per treatment) to diets containing 0.24 % Na (Na0.24), 0.28 % Na (Na0.28), and 0.32 % Na (Na0.32) per kg diet. Feed and water was provided ad libitum, and water consumption, feed offered, and feed residues were recorded daily. Every third week, the pigs were weighed, blood samples were collected, and a 3-day total collection of urine and feces was performed. Water intake was higher (P = 0.001) in pigs fed with diets Na0.28 (3.7 L/day) and Na0.32 (3.9 L/day) than in pigs fed with diet Na0.24 (3.4 L/day), and dry matter (DM) intake was higher on diet Na0.32 (P = 0.041) than on the other diets. The average daily body weight (BW) gain was higher on diet Na0.32 than on the other diets (P = 0.031). The feed conversion ratio (in kilogram feed DM to kilogram BW gain) was 4.6, 4.6, and 4.1 on treatments Na0.24, Na0.28, and Na0.32, respectively (P = 0.14). The highest Na balance was observed on diet Na0.32 followed by diets Na0.28 and Na0.24 (P < 0.001), while there was no treatment-related pattern for the K balance. The Na/K ratio in feces and urine increased (P < 0.001), and the K/Na ratio in feces (P < 0.001) decreased with increasing Na content in the diet. Plasma aldosterone concentration decreased (P < 0.001) with increasing dietary content of Na. These results indicate that high NaCl intake and free access to water will increase Na balance but do not negatively influence feed intake and performance of growing local pigs.

A field study on feed supplementation, body weight and selected blood parameters in local pigs in Laos.

The aim of the present study was to investigate feed allowances, body weight (BW), haematocrit, haemoglobin, plasma ionised calcium (iCa), sodium, potassium, pH and glucose concentration and faecal K/Na ratio in local growing pigs, sows and piglets kept by small-holder farmers in Laos. Starting hypotheses were that (1) local pigs are under fed, (2) BW is higher in pigs receiving supplementary feed and (3) the blood profile of pigs subjected to very poor nutrition is outside the normal range. On 54 pig-keeping smallholdings in Borikhamxay province, Lao PDR, daily feed allowances were weighed and BW recorded for 27 lactating sows, 54 piglets and 27 growing pigs. Blood samples were collected from the vena jugularis in all pigs. Feed supplementation did not affect BW, but plasma iCa concentration was outside the normal range for all pigs. There was a tendency for lower faecal K/Na ratio in Na-supplemented sows. The results confirm that local pigs in small-scale production systems in Laos suffer from poor nutrition. The most important challenge for farmers appears to be provision of more feed, particularly feed with a high Ca content.

Digestibility of fibre sources and molecular weight distribution of fibre fractions in ileal digesta of growing pigs.

Seven post-valve T-caecum cannulated growing pigs were used in a change-over experiment with four diets and four 14-day periods to evaluate the total tract apparent digestibility (TTAD) and the ileal apparent digestibility (IAD) of diets with inclusion of chicory forage (CFO), sugar beet pulp (SBP), wheat bran (WB) and grass meal (GM), as well as the TTAD of the mentioned fibre sources. Moreover, this experiment evaluated the molecular weight distribution of soluble non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) fractions in diet and ileal digesta from pigs fed the CFO and SBP diets. The experimental diets were balanced to have similar NSP content and compromised of one part of the basal diet and one part of the four fibre sources (CFO, SBP, WB and GM). In addition, all pigs were fed the basal diet during a 14-day period before and after the experimental periods. Diet affected the TTAD of all dietary components except glucose. The TTAD of organic matter (OM) was higher for Diet SBP than for Diets WB and CFO, showing both were higher than Diet GM. The TTAD of NSP was higher for Diet SBP than Diets WB and GM. The IAD of OM was higher in Diet SBP than in the other diets. The IAD of NSP was lower in Diet WB than in the other diets. The TTAD of OM and energy of CFO was 0.43 ± 0.04 (standard error), which is similar to that reported for commonly used forage crops. The molecular weight distribution in ileal digesta showed different distributions between Diets CFO and SBP as well as between digesta from pigs fed these diets.