The effects of particle size and pelleting on growth performance, carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility, and stomach morphology were determined using 160 finishing pigs. The pigs were fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet with the corn milled to particle sizes of 1,000, 800, 600, or 400 microns. The diets were fed in meal or pellet form. Pelleting the diets resulted in 5% greater ADG (P < .001). Also, pelleting increased digestibilities of DM, N, and GE by 5 to 8% (P < .001) and digestibility of GE by 7% (quadratic effect, P < .03). Improved nutrient digestibility and lower ADFI resulted in 26% less daily excretion of DM and 27% less daily excretion of N in the feces as particle size was reduced from 1,000 to 400 microns (linear effects, P < .001). Stomach lesions and keratinization increased with reduced particle size (P < .003) and keratinization increased with pelleting (P
CITATION STYLE
Wondra, K. J., Hancock, J. D., Behnke, K. C., Hines, R. H., & Stark, C. R. (1995). Effects of particle size and pelleting on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and stomach morphology in finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science, 73(3), 757–763. https://doi.org/10.2527/1995.733757x
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.