Comparison of High and Low Protein Corn for Growing-Fattening Pigs in Drylot

Abstract

Young male rats were trio-fed (equal feed) for six weeks on diets equated for crude protein (15%) and energy to compare yellow corns containing 8.6%, 11.2% and 13.5% crude protein (fresh basis). In each diet the amount of protein supplied by corn was the same. No significant differences occurred in growth rates or in gross energy content of the carcasses. In a similar test with nine pairs of pigs pair-fed (equal feed), yellow corn containing 11.7% protein was no better than yellow corn containing 8.2% protein when each furnished the same amount of protein in the ration. In another experiment with pigs (trio-fed, equal feed) fed equal amounts of corn containing 7.7%, 9.1% and 12.8% crude protein, with enough protein supplement to raise all rations to a 15% protein level (12% after the pigs reached 100 pound Weight), average daily gains made by pigs fed the 12.8% protein corn were significantly less than those made by pigs fed the corn of lower protein content. Average daily gains did not differ significantly between pigs fed either 7.7% or 9.1% protein corn. Twelve percent less protein supplement was needed to produce a 15% protein ration and 27.7% less supplement was needed to produce a 12% protein ration when the 9.1% protein corn was used than when the 7.7% protein corn was used. Copyright © . .