Productive, economic and qualitative effects of different nutritional programs for growing and finishing pigs

Abstract

The objective of this work was evaluate the best nutritional program for growing pigs, between five comercial diets with different levels of protein (high, medium and low), chrome picolinate and ractopamine for finishing pigs. Performance, carcass, economy and meat quality were evaluated. Seventy pigs (Pen Ar Lan) were used (35 barrows and 35 gilts) with initial weight ± standard deviation of 25.22 ± 2.5 kg and were slaughtered with final weight plus standard deviation of 119.08 ± 6.0kg. Difference between high protein and low protein + chrrome was observed to feed convertion during growth phases, with high protein showing better results. Difference was observed during finishing phase II to daily gain, showing better results for ractopamine over low protein. Muscle and fat deposition over carcass showed better results for ractopamine against low protein only. Lower levels of drip loss was observed for low protein and ractopamine treatments against higher levels of protein treatments. Ractopamine also showed the best cost when compared with all treatments and was the best nutritional program studied.