705. A comparison of dried skim-milk and white fish meal as protein supplements for fattening pigs: II. On all-meal feeding under commercial conditions

Abstract

1. Results are reported of an experiment carried out under commercial conditions to obtain information on the comparative value of dried skim-milk and white fish meal as protein supplements for fattening pigs.2. There were four treatments. Control pigs (i) received a meal mixture containing 10% white fish meal, reduced to 7% from 130 lb. live weight. In the other experimental groups, the fish meal was replaced by dried skim-milk, (ii) on a weight for weight basis, (iv) on a protein basis and (iii) intermediate between (ii) and (iv). All pigs were fed the meal dry and ad lib. up to a maximum of 6½ lb./head daily. Unrestricted water was available.There were five pens of nine group-fed pigs on each treatment, involving a total of 180 pigs. The pigs were on experiment from approximately 10 weeks of age to bacon weight. Comprehensive carcass measurements were made on all the pigs.3. The results showed that a significantly better rate of growth was obtained when the white fish meal was replaced by dried skim-milk on a weight for weight basis. Increasing the percentage of skim-milk in the diet up to 15% resulted in a slightly better performance of the pigs, but no further improvement was obtained by raising the level of skim-milk to 20%. These results were discussed in relation to an apparent set-back that the control pigs suffered at the start of the experimental period.4. The inclusion of dried skim-milk in the diet had an adverse effect on the carcass grading, particularly in so far as it resulted in a thicker layer of back fat over the loin as compared with that in the control pigs.5. There was also some indication that the carcasses from the animals given dried skim-milk had slightly thicker bellies and a smaller breadth of eye muscle than the carcasses of the control animals that received fish meal.6. The results have been compared with those of an earlier trial, which was in most details the same as that reported here, the main difference being that in the earlier experiment individual feeding and one breed of pig were used.