Weekly Digestibilities of Diets Supplemented with Corn Oil, Lard or Tallow by Weanling Swine

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Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to evaluate supplementation of diets with 8% corn oil, lard or tallow. In Exp. 1, 36 barrows weaned at 21 d of age were used to evaluate the effects of these three diets on digestibilities of fat and dry matter and subsequent N retentions from wk 1 to 4 postweaning. In Exp. 2, 147 weanling pigs in six replicates were used to evaluate weekly growth and feed performance measurements when fed these same diets for a 4-wk postweaning period. A large quantity of fat was absorbed (P < .01) during wk 1 postweaning by pigs fed the corn oil diet, with the quantity absorbed similar for the three sources of fat from wk 2 to 4. Diets with corn oil had a higher apparent fat digestibility than diets supplemented with lard or tallow during each week postweaning (P < .05). Apparent digestibility of fat increased (P < .01) for each fat source each week postweaning but appeared to reach a plateau by wk 3 postweaning. Differences in apparent digestibility of fat between fat sources narrowed from wk 1 to wk 4, with digestibility of corn oil increasing from 79 to 89% and of animal fat sources increasing from 67 to 84%. Apparent digestibility of dry matter tended (P < .10) to be highest when corn oil was provided during the initial 2-wk postweaning period. Although N retention was highest during wk 1 postweaning when the corn oil was fed, this response was attributed to the higher feed intakes of pigs fed this diet. In Exp. 2, source of fat had no effect on weekly or overall 28-d growth rate or on feed-to-gain ratio. These experiments indicate that apparent fat digestibility and dietary fat absorption increase with age or time postweaning. Supplemental corn oil resulted in a higher apparent digestibility and absorption of fat and dry matter digestibility, especially during the iniital 2-wk postweaning period, but corn oil did not increase postweaning gains or feed utilization relative to lard or tallow supplementation of diets. Copyright © 1988. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1988 by American Society of Animal Science