Effect of Replacing Wheat or Maize with Micronized Barley on Starter, Grower and Finisher Pig Performance

Two growth performance experiments were undertaken in order to compare the nutritional benefit of micronized dehulled barley (MDB) with wheat and maize. In the first experiment, ninety-six 24 d old Cotswold pigs with an average body weight of 9.5 kg were randomly allotted into one of four dietary treatments. The wheat and MDB ratio in the four complex diets were 100% wheat, 75% wheat+25% MDB, 50% wheat+50% MDB and 100% MDB; cereal was about 47% of the whole diet and varied by using different ratios of wheat and MDB. Starter phase was started at a body weight 9.9 kg; grower phase continued at liveweight 37.1 kg and finished at 74.0 kg. The ADFI, ADG and feed efficiency (F/G) were not affected (p>0.05) by the level of MDB in the diet from 9.9 to 37.1 kg live weight. However, ADFI was (p<0.05) less (14%) for the pigs fed the 75 or 100% of MDB based diets without affecting F/G during the second phase (37.1 to 74.0 kg live weight). Pigs fed the MDB based diet had a lower (p<0.05) plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentration than the pigs fed the wheat-based diet. In the second experiment, the trial started at 9.9 kg body weight and ended at market weight (107.6 kg), with three different phases in the trial. One hundred and twenty Cotswold pigs were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments. The maize and MDB ratio in the three diets were 100% maize, 50% maize+50% MDB and 100% MDB. Diet treatments did not affect (p>0.05) growth performance, PUN level, carcass characteristics and organ size, except for an improvement (p<0.05) in ADG for the pigs in the starter phase fed 50% and 100% MDB based diets.