MF2952

Caleb E. Wurth et al., Defining Sieving Methods Used to Determine and Express Fineness of Feed Materials, Kansas State University, October 2010

Effects of sorghum particle size on milling characteristics, growth performance, and carcass characteristics in finishing pigs

A total of 200 finishing pigs (PIC TR4 × 1050; average initial BW of 103.2 lb) were used in a 69-d growth assay to determine the effects of sorghum particle size on growth performance. Pigs were sorted by sex and ancestry and balanced by BW, with 5 pigs per pen and 10 pens per treatment. Treatments were a corn-soybean meal-based control with the corn milled to a target mean particle size of 600 μm, and sorghum diets milled to a target mean particle size of 800, 600, or 400 μm. Actual mean particle sizes were 555 μm for corn, and 724, 573, and 319 μm for sorghum, respectively. Feed and water were offered on an ad libitum basis until the pigs were slaughtered (average final BW of 271 lb) at a commercial abattoir. Reducing sorghum particle size improved (linear, P \u3c 0.01) F/G, and we observed a tendency for decreased (P \u3c 0.06) ADFI. Reducing sorghum particle size from 724 to 319 μm had no effects on HCW, backfat thickness, loin depth, or percentage fat-free lean index (FFLI), but tended to increase (P \u3c 0.06) carcass yield. Pigs fed the sorghum-based diets had no difference in growth performance or carcass characteristics compared with those fed the control diet, except carcass yield, which was numerically greater (P \u3c 0.07) for pigs fed the sorghum-based diets. When using a regression equation, we determined that sorghum must be ground to 513 μm to achieve a F/G equal to that of a corn-based diet, with corn ground to 550 μm. In conclusion, linear improvements in F/G and carcass yield were demonstrated with the reduction of sorghum particle size to 319 μm. In this experiment, sorghum should be ground 42 μm finer than corn to achieve a similar feeding value.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 17, 201

Effects of adding cracked corn to a pelleted supplement for nursery and finishing pigs

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of supplementing cracked corn into diets of nursery and finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 144 pigs were used in a 28-d trial. Pigs (PIC TR4 × 1050; initially 16.5 lb) were weaned and allotted with 6 pigs per pen (3 barrows and 3 gilts) and 6 pens per treatment. All pigs were fed a common diet for 7 d postweaning and the experimental diets for the next 28 d. Treatments were corn-soybean meal-based in the form of mash, pellets, and pellets with 100% of the corn either ground (618 μm) or cracked (3,444 μm) and blended into the diet after the rest of the formulation (the supplement) had been pelleted. Overall (d 0 to 28), ADG and F/G improved when pigs were fed the mash control compared to the pelleted diets (P \u3c 0.001); however, this response was caused by the poor performance of pigs fed the supplement treatments, with the pigs fed the complete pellets having improved (P \u3c 0.01) ADG and F/G compared with pigs fed the pelleted supplement blended with ground and cracked corn. Finally, pigs fed the supplement blended with cracked corn had numerically lower (P \u3c 0.11) ADG and poorer (P \u3c 0.001) F/G compared to those fed the supplement blended with ground corn. In Exp. 2, 224 nursery pigs (initially 16.3 lb) were used with 7 barrows or 7 gilts per pen and 8 pens per treatment. Treatments were corn-soybean meal-based and fed as mash, pellets, and pellets with 50% of the corn either ground (445 μm) or cracked (2,142 μm) and blended with the pelleted supplement. Pigs fed mash had improved (P \u3c 0.03) ADG and F/G compared with pigs fed the other treatments; however, this resulted from adding ground or cracked corn outside the pellets (complete pellets vs. pelleted supplement with corn, P \u3c 0.01). In Exp. 3, 252 finishing pigs (initially 88.2 lb) were used with 7 pigs per pen and 9 pens per treatment. The treatments were the same as Exp. 2. Pigs fed mash had lower (P \u3c 0.004) ADG compared with pigs fed diets with pellets. Pigs fed complete pellets had improved (P \u3c 0.03) ADG and F/G compared with pigs fed corn and the pelleted supplement. Also, pigs fed the supplement blended with cracked corn had greater (P \u3c 0.02) ADG than pigs fed the supplement blended with ground corn. Pelleting the diet led to an increase (P \u3c 0.05) in ulceration scores; however, these negative effects on ulcer scores were reduced (P \u3c 0.001) by cracking 50% of the corn and adding it postpellet.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 17, 201

Feed processing parameters and their effects on nursery pig growth performance

A total of 180 nursery pigs (PIC 327 × 1050; initially 27.8 lb) were used in an 18-d study to determine the effects of conditioning parameters and feed form on pig performance. All diets were the same corn, dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), and soybean meal-based formulation with different processing parameters used to create the experimental treatments. Treatments included: (1) negative control mash diet, (2) positive control pelleted diet conditioned at 60 rpm, (3) pelleted diet conditioned at 30 rpm and reground, (4) pelleted diet conditioned at 60 rpm and reground, and (5) pelleted diet conditioned at 90 rpm and reground. The different rpm values among treatments represent the time in the conditioner during processing. The lower the rpm value, the longer time feed was in the conditioner. Pigs were weaned and fed a common acclimation diet for 21 d prior to the start of the experiment. Average daily gain and F/G did not differ (P > 0.12) between treatments overall, but ADFI decreased (P = 0.03) for pigs fed the pelleted, positive control diet compared with all other diets. Although no overall treatment effects were significant for ADG or F/G, the experiment was designed more specifically to evaluate treatment differences using preplanned comparisons. When considering preplanned contrasts, we observed that pigs fed mash diets tended to have greater (P = 0.10) ADG than those fed pelleted and reground diets, suggesting that processing may have had a negative influence on feed utilization, a hypothesis that is further supported because pigs fed mash diets tended to have greater (P = 0.06) ADG compared with those fed diets that were heat-processed, regardless of regrinding. Considering these results, it was not surprising that pigs fed mash diets had greater (P = 0.05) ADG and ADFI (P = 0.01) than those fed pelleted diets. When directly comparing diets conditioned at 60 rpm, fed either as whole pellets or reground to mash consistency, pigs fed pelleted diets had improved (P = 0.01) F/G due to lower ADFI (P = 0.004) but similar ADG (P = 0.60). This unexpected negative impact of pelleting on ADG may be due to a negative influence of heat treatment on palatability. The expected improvement in F/G from pelleting (6.8%) was observed but lost when diets were reground to near original mash particle size. This result may indicate that diet form (high-quality pellets vs. mash) affects F/G more than degree of starch gelatinization or other intrinsic factors associated with conditioning ingredients

Effects of the Pelleting Process on Diet Formulations with Varying Levels of Crystalline Amino Acids and Reducing Sugars on Nursery Pig Growth Performance

Pelleting swine feed and the use of crystalline amino acids and by-product ingredients can potentially create ideal conditions that further facilitate the Maillard browning reaction. The Maillard reaction combines an amino group of a free amino acid and a carbonyl group of a reducing sugar (RS), making the amino acid less available. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of pelleting swine diets containing free amino acids and reducing sugars at high temperatures on nursery pig growth performance. A total of 360 pigs (initially 25.0 lb; Line 200 × 400; DNA, Columbus, NE) were used in a study evaluating the effect of crystalline AA, reducing sugars, and feed form on growth performance of nursery pigs. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of crystalline AA concentration (low vs. high), reducing sugars (RS; low vs. high), and diet form (mash vs. pellet). Diets were formulated with low or high crystalline AA and low or high reducing sugars provided by co-product ingredients, DDGS and bakery meal. Diets were pelleted to a conditioning temperature of 187.5°F. When pigs weighed approximately 25 lb, they were weighed, and pens were randomly assigned treatments. There were 9 replications per treatment and 5 pigs per pen. There were no 3-way or 2-way interactions. For the main effect of form, there was no evidence of difference in ADG, and ADFI increased (P = 0.001) in pigs fed mash diets compared to pellets. Feed efficiency and caloric efficiency improved (P = 0.001) in pigs fed pelleted diets compared to mash diets. For the main effect of crystalline AA, there was no evidence of difference in ADG or F/G; however, pigs fed high crystalline AA had increased (P = 0.024) ADFI compared to those fed low crystalline AA diets. For the main effect of RS inclusion, pigs fed low RS diets had increased (P \u3c 0.041) ADG and ADFI compared to pigs fed high RS inclusion diets. There was an improvement (P = 0.019) in F/G and caloric efficiency for pigs fed high RS inclusion diets compared to those fed low RS diets. There was no evidence of difference in IOFC for form, crystalline AA, or RS. In conclusion, there was no evidence of interactions between diet types, indicating that increasing amounts of crystalline AA and RS did not increase the Maillard reaction or reduce growth performance when pelleting diets by using the reported conditions. Pigs fed pelleted diets had similar ADG and an 8% improvement in F/G compared to those fed mash diets. Pigs fed the high RS diets had reduced feed intake, which resulted in reduced gain and improved feed and caloric efficiency. Additionally, pigs fed high AA diets had increased feed intake

The effects of DDGS inclusion on pellet quality and pelleting performance

Master of ScienceDepartment of Grain Science and IndustryKeith C. BehnkeThree experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on pellet quality and pellet mill performance in pelleted swine diets. The experiments were completed at the Feed Processing Research Center in the Department of Grain Science at Kansas State University. In all experiments, pellet durability index (PDI), electrical energy consumption, production rate, and bulk density served as the response criteria. In Exp. 1, DDGS were substituted on an equal weight basis for corn, with substitution levels of 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%. The diet was not adjusted to maintain equal nutrient levels across the treatments. There were no observed significant differences in pellet quality across all levels of DDGS substitution. Both production rate and bulk density were significantly lowered as DDGS level increased. In Exp. 2, diets were formulated to contain the same levels of DDGS, but all ingredients were allowed to vary to retain nutritionally similar diets. In this case energy consumption showed no significant differences among treatments, while pellet quality, throughput, and bulk density were all negatively affected by increasing levels of DDGS. In Exp. 3, the effect of incorporating pelleted and reground DDGS was evaluated. The levels of DDGS evaluated were 10%, 20%, and 30%, using the same diets as Exp. 2. These diets were then pelleted and compared to a control diet with no added DDGS and to diets with unprocessed DDGS added at the same levels. At levels above 10% the diets containing unprocessed DDGS had significantly lower pellet quality than the control, while the diets containing pelleted and reground DDGS showed no significant difference from the control at any level. Significant effects were also observed for production rate, energy consumption, and bulk density. In conclusion, the use of standard DDGS in pelleted feeds is feasible, and although pellet quality may be significantly lower for feeds containing DDGS, the practical value is likely not affected. Furthermore, the data demonstrates some benefits of using DDGS that have been pelleted and reground

The importance of defining the method in particle size analysis by sieving

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) publishes a standard for identifying particle size by sieving (ASABE S319.4). However, this standard includes a number of options that allow the test to be conducted differently, and different laboratories may analyze a single sample with different results. Options include the type of sieve shaker used, the use of sieve agitators, the use of a dispersion agent, and the sieving time. A small study was conducted to examine the effect of varying these methods on the calculated geometric mean diameter by weight (dgw) and geometric standard deviation by weight (sgw). Results indicated that large differences existed depending on the methods used, with dgw varying by as much as 100 microns, and sgw varying by as much as 0.42 simply by altering one option. When compounding the differences in methods, the variations can be even larger. These discrepancies demonstrate that, for particle size analysis by sieving to be used as an effective tool, the same methodology must be used to compare samples. Additionally, the data demonstrate that unless the methods in the current standard are better defined, dgw and sgw should be used only as relative values for comparison

Effects of sorghum particle size on milling characteristics, growth performance, and carcass characteristics in finishing pigs

A total of 200 finishing pigs (PIC TR4 × 1050; average initial BW of 103.2 lb) were used in a 69-d growth assay to determine the effects of sorghum particle size on growth performance. Pigs were sorted by sex and ancestry and balanced by BW, with 5 pigs per pen and 10 pens per treatment. Treatments were a corn-soybean meal-based control with the corn milled to a target mean particle size of 600 μm, and sorghum diets milled to a target mean particle size of 800, 600, or 400 μm. Actual mean particle sizes were 555 μm for corn, and 724, 573, and 319 μm for sorghum, respectively. Feed and water were offered on an ad libitum basis until the pigs were slaughtered (average final BW of 271 lb) at a commercial abattoir. Reducing sorghum particle size improved (linear, P < 0.01) F/G, and we observed a tendency for decreased (P < 0.06) ADFI. Reducing sorghum particle size from 724 to 319 μm had no effects on HCW, backfat thickness, loin depth, or percentage fat-free lean index (FFLI), but tended to increase (P < 0.06) carcass yield. Pigs fed the sorghum-based diets had no difference in growth performance or carcass characteristics compared with those fed the control diet, except carcass yield, which was numerically greater (P < 0.07) for pigs fed the sorghum-based diets. When using a regression equation, we determined that sorghum must be ground to 513 μm to achieve a F/G equal to that of a corn-based diet, with corn ground to 550 μm. In conclusion, linear improvements in F/G and carcass yield were demonstrated with the reduction of sorghum particle size to 319 μm. In this experiment, sorghum should be ground 42 μm finer than corn to achieve a similar feeding value

Effects of adding cracked corn to a pelleted supplement for nursery and finishing pigs

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of supplementing cracked corn into diets of nursery and finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 144 pigs were used in a 28-d trial. Pigs (PIC TR4 × 1050; initially 16.5 lb) were weaned and allotted with 6 pigs per pen (3 barrows and 3 gilts) and 6 pens per treatment. All pigs were fed a common diet for 7 d postweaning and the experimental diets for the next 28 d. Treatments were corn-soybean meal-based in the form of mash, pellets, and pellets with 100% of the corn either ground (618 μm) or cracked (3,444 μm) and blended into the diet after the rest of the formulation (the supplement) had been pelleted. Overall (d 0 to 28), ADG and F/G improved when pigs were fed the mash control compared to the pelleted diets (P < 0.001); however, this response was caused by the poor performance of pigs fed the supplement treatments, with the pigs fed the complete pellets having improved (P < 0.01) ADG and F/G compared with pigs fed the pelleted supplement blended with ground and cracked corn. Finally, pigs fed the supplement blended with cracked corn had numerically lower (P < 0.11) ADG and poorer (P < 0.001) F/G compared to those fed the supplement blended with ground corn. In Exp. 2, 224 nursery pigs (initially 16.3 lb) were used with 7 barrows or 7 gilts per pen and 8 pens per treatment. Treatments were corn-soybean meal-based and fed as mash, pellets, and pellets with 50% of the corn either ground (445 μm) or cracked (2,142 μm) and blended with the pelleted supplement. Pigs fed mash had improved (P < 0.03) ADG and F/G compared with pigs fed the other treatments; however, this resulted from adding ground or cracked corn outside the pellets (complete pellets vs. pelleted supplement with corn, P < 0.01). In Exp. 3, 252 finishing pigs (initially 88.2 lb) were used with 7 pigs per pen and 9 pens per treatment. The treatments were the same as Exp. 2. Pigs fed mash had lower (P < 0.004) ADG compared with pigs fed diets with pellets. Pigs fed complete pellets had improved (P < 0.03) ADG and F/G compared with pigs fed corn and the pelleted supplement. Also, pigs fed the supplement blended with cracked corn had greater (P < 0.02) ADG than pigs fed the supplement blended with ground corn. Pelleting the diet led to an increase (P < 0.05) in ulceration scores; however, these negative effects on ulcer scores were reduced (P < 0.001) by cracking 50% of the corn and adding it postpellet

Supplementation of ginger root extract into broiler chicken diet: effects on growth performance and immunocompetence

ABSTRACT: Ginger contains bioactive compounds that possess anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. In this study, 432-day-old Ross 708 broiler male chicks were randomly allocated to 6 dietary treatments to investigate the effect of ginger root extract (GRE) on immunocompetence and growth performance to 6 wk of age. Treatment 1 (CON) consisted of chicks fed a corn–soybean meal (SBM), a base diet without GRE. Treatment 2 (MX) chicks were given basal diets containing bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) at 0.055 g/kg. Treatments 3 (GRE-0.375%), 4 (GRE-0.75%), 5 (GRE-1.5%), and 6 (GRE-3%) were fed similar diet to control with GRE supplemented at 0.375%, 0.75%, 1.5%, and 3%, respectively. Moreover, HPLC analysis of GRE was carried out to determine the concentration of bioactive compounds found in GRE. Each treatment consisted of 6 replicate pens with 12 chicks/pen. Bodyweight (BW) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded. Results show that the concentration of bioactive compounds increased with increasing GRE supplementation. Likewise, dietary GRE supplementation did not have any detrimental effect on growth performance parameters up to 1.5%, as values for BWG was not different from CON and MX; however, 3% GRE had the poorest FCR and a lower BWG as compared to other treatments. On d 27 and d 41, fecal and cecal concentrations of total bacteria count (TBC), Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus spp., and Bifidobacterium spp enumerated using selective plating media showed that GRE supplementation significantly reduced (P 0.05) among all treatments for antibody titer against Newcastle disease virus and total IgY antibodies; however, on d 27, GRE-0.75% had the highest value for both immune indicators and was not different from MX. Dietary supplementation of GRE up to 1.5% enhanced the immune system and suppressed E. coli while promoting the growth of healthy bacteria, without any detrimental effect on growth performance