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A total of forty-four males weaned at 7 days of age were placed in individual cages in an environmental controlled room. Animal were randomly assigned to one of the four dietary treatments: (1) 60% dried whey (control diet), (2) 5% rice protein concentrate diet, (3)10% rice protein concentrate diet and (4)15% rice protein concentrate diet. Five piglets from each treatment were randomly selected for sacrificing at 14 days of age. The remaining animals were fed until 21 days of age. Feed intake was daily measured. Animals were weighed on days 7, 14 and 21 to calculate ADG, ADFI and FGR.
No effects were observed amongst experimental treatments on ADG, ADFI and FGR during the first 14 days of experiment, however during the last week of the experiment (14 to 21 days) the addition of 5% or 10% of rice protein concentrate to increased (P<0.05) ADFI and ADG compared to those animals fed the control diet. During the entire 21-day trial ADG and ADFI were higher (P<0.05) in pigs fed the 5 or 10% rice protein concentrate diet than those fed the control diet or 15% of rice protein concentrate.
It is concluded that 5-10% of rice protein concentrate can be used to replace dried whey in the diet for 7 to 21-day-old weaned piglets improving their growth performance.
AP Hou, YL Yin, RL Huang, TJ Li, R Hou, Y Liu, X Wu, Z Liu, W Wang, H Xiong, GY Wu and LX Tan (2008), Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 88: 1187-1193.
