Known and Unidentified Factors Supplement a Corn-Soybean Meal Ration for Weanling Pigs in Drylot

Abstract

A 20% crude protein ration composed largely of corn and soybean meal was nutritionally inadequate for weanling pigs in drylot. The addition of either 1.5 mg. riboflavin, 6 mg. pantothenic acid or 250 mg. choline chloride per pound of ration significantly increased the average daily gains, while neither thiamine, niacin nor pyridoxine as additions to the basal ration had a significant effect on the rate of gain. When the basal ration included five B-vitamins, the addition of either 250 mg. choline chloride per pound of ration or 0.2% dl-methionine or a combination of both very significantly increased the growth rates. The choline-methionine combination produced results which did not differ significantly from those obtained when either choline or methionine was fed. This indicates that the basal ration satisfied the indispensable choline and methionine requirements of the pigs but did not provide enough additional methyl groups for optimum growth. When the basal ration included six B-vitamins, the addition of either 5% meat scraps or 2% dried whey-product with whey fermentation solubles increased the average daily gains, although not significantly. Either 5% meat scraps plus 1% dried whey-product with whey fermentation solubles or 2% condensed menhaden fish solubles resulted in a highly significant increase in growth rate to 75 pounds. The average daily gain to 100 pounds was increased appreciably by the 2% fish solubles, but the increase was not statistically significant. The addition of 4% penicillium meal did not improve the rate of gain. The addition of 8% dried skim milk resulted in a highly significant increase in the growth rate to 75 and 100 pounds, while the addition of 4% dried skim milk plus 2.5% meat scraps significantly increased the rate of gain both to 75 and 100 pounds. Performance of pigs in these tests indicates that meat scraps is probably a source of the animal protein factor(s),that dried whey-product with whey fermentation solubles contains the factor S group and that the combination of these two feeds, condensed menhaden fish solubles and dried skim milk contain both the animal protein and factor S groups. These responses of pigs are similar to those reported in poultry researches. Copyright © . .