Comparison between fish meal and two Queensland meat and bone meals in bacon pig production

Abstract

Fish meal, containing 64 per cent crude protein, was fed at a level of 10 per cent, as a protein supplement, in rations based on grain sorghum. Food conversion and daily gain of pigs fed this diet, from shortly after weaning to bacon weight, was superior to that obtained on diets containing either 14 per cent of a 65 per cent or 16 per cent of a 49 per cent crude protein meat and bone meal. Superior performance was also obtained when this diet was compared with two mixtures of the lower protein meat and bone and fish meal. There was no significant difference in performance when the fish meal diet was compared with a mixture of the higher protein meat and bone and fish meal. In spite of its high cost the imported fish meal was a very economical supplement.

The use of New Zealand produced fish meal in diets of growing pigs

“…However, the linear improvement in growth rate was not examined for levels of herring meal in excess of 7 percent of the diet. In both the present trial and that of Todd and Daniels (1965) growth rates were improved by increasing the proportion of fish meal in the diet beyond 7 percent. Similarly Jones, Hepburn, Cadenhead, and Boyne (1962) found that growth performance between 35 and 100 lb live weight improved as the level of dietary fish meal was raised from 7.4 to 15.7 percent.…”

“…A trend toward increased leanness with corresponding increases in the level of fish meal was noted by Todd and Daniels (1965), while in a larger trial Jones et at. (1962) obtained a significant response in carcass leanness to increasing the level of dietary fish meal from 7.4 to 15.7 percent.…”

“…However, the improved performance mainly occurred below 80 lb, with a lesser advantage from 80 to 120 lb live weight. Todd and Daniels (1965) showed that growth performance in pigs was superior on diets containing fish meal as opposed to meat and bone meal at equal protein intakes. Their results, unlike those reported in this paper, did not indicate that growth performance was adversely affected by an increase in the level of dietary fish meal in the finishing stage after 100 lb live weight.…”