Growth, Energy and Nitrogen Studies on Pigs Fed Meal and Pellets2

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Abstract
Three experiments were conducted to study and evaluate the effect of pelleting swine rations on rate of gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, energy digestibility and nitrogen digestibility. The test rations were: (1) fortified corn-soybean meal; (2) ration (1) with 20% oats by weight replacing corn; (3) ration (1) with 40% oats by weight replacing corn. The energy and nitrogen digestibility studies were conducted with the high-corn and 40% oat rations. Pelleting the high-corn ration sigificantly improved rate of gain and feed efficiency when feed intake was equalized between meal and pellet rations. Trends were the same for the 20% and 40% oat rations, but the differences between meal and pellets were not statistically significant. When ad libitum fed, following a period of equalized feed intake, the 20% and 40% oat pellet-fed pigs gained significantly faster than the meal-fed pigs. Rate of gain of the pigs fed the pelleted high-corn ration followed the same trend. Feed intake and feed efficiency seemed to favor the pellet-fed pigs, but the differences were not statistically significant. Pelleting significantly improved daily gains and feed efficiency when the three test rations (pooled data) were equally and ad libitum fed to paired pigs. In both the equal and ad libitum feeding, the apparent energy digestibility of the high-corn pelleted rations was significantly greater than for the meal form of the same ration. On an equal feed intake, the apparent energy digestibility of the 40% oat meal and pelleted rations was not significantly different, however, digestibility of the meal form was significantly improved when fed ad libitum. Apparent nitrogen digestibility was the same for the high-corn and 40% oat rations in either meal or pellet forms.