PSI-38 Evaluation of increasing oat groats in nursery pig diets

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to test the effect of added dietary oat groats on nursery pig performance (Exp. 1) and diet palatability (Exp. 2). In Exp. 1, a total of 225 pigs (initially 6.3 kg) were used in a 14-d study. Pigs were fed a starter diet for 7 d prior to the start of the experiment. Pens were assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments in a RCBD by BW with 4 or 5 pigs/pen and 10 pens/treatment. Dietary treatments consisted of 0, 7.5, 15, 22.5, or 30% oat groats added as a replacement for corn. Treatments were fed for 14 d with pig weights and feed disappearance collected weekly. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX. For the experimental period, increasing added oat groats resulted in no evidence for differences (P > 0.05) in ADG, ADFI, G:F, or d 14 BW. In Exp. 2, a 7-d preference study was conducted to evaluate the response when given the choice between 0% oat groats to either 7.5% groats or 30% groats. A total of 48 pigs were used with 4 pigs/pen and 6 replications/comparison. Pigs were weighed on d 0 and 7, and feeders weighed and position rotated within the pen daily to determine ADFI of each diet offered. When given the choice, there was no evidence for difference (P > 0.05) in ADFI or percentage of diet consumed between the 0% and 7.5% oat groat diets. When given the choice between the 0% or 30% groat diets, pigs had increased (P = 0.001) ADFI (0.05 vs. 0.29 kg, respectively; SEM=0.020) and feed consumed (16.3 vs. 83.7%, respectively; SEM=3.61) with the 30% oat groat treatment. In conclusion, increasing dietary oat groats did not improve performance; however, when given the choice, pigs preferred the 30% oat groat diet compared to diets without oat groats.