Digestible energy content of cereals and wheat by-products for growing pigs

Abstract

1. The digestible energy content of eight samples of barley, sorghum, wheat, weather-damaged wheat and wheat by-products produced from different regions of eastern Australia was determined using growing pigs. The relationships between physical and chemical composition and digestible energy content of the meals were studied. 2. The mean and range in digestible energy (MJ/kg, air-dry basis) were, respectively: barleys 12-7 (124 to 13-0), sorghums 14-4 (14-1 to 14-9), wheats 14-4 (14-0 to 15-0), weather-damaged wheats 14-1 (12-9 to 14-9) and wheat by-products 12-4 (10-9 to 14-1). 3. All possible regressions of digestible energy content against density, gross energy and proximate analyses of the meals were screened to select useful relationships. These screens indicated that, with the exception of wheat by-products, the majority of variation in digestible energy was due to gross energy and fibre. For wheat byproducts, a combination of density and fibre accounted for most of the variation. 4. Prediction equations had the most application to weather-damaged wheats, wheat by-products and a combination of all samples. 5. There was no indication that neutral-detegent fibre was superior to crude fibre as a predictor of digestible energy in cereals for pigs.

Effects of storage time and exogenous xylanase supplementation of new season wheats on the performance of young male pigs

“…The highest DE reported in Australia was at 17.0 MJ kg -1 DM, and the lowest was 13.8 MJ kg -1 DM (Kopinski 1997). Batterham et al (1980) found the hemicellulose (mainly arabinoxylan) component of wheat to be correlated to the DE of wheat. The relationship between DE and more specific components of wheat NSP have been variable (van Barneveld 1997), although Abbreviations: ADF, acid detergent fibre; AIA, acid insoluble ash; AME, apparent metabolisable energy; CP, crude protein; DC, digestibility coefficient; DE, digestible energy; DM, dry matter; FCR, feed conversion ratio; NDF, neutral detergent fibre; NSC, non starch carbohydrate; NSP, non starch polysaccharides; WHC, water holding capacity…”

Effective use in livestock feeds of mouldy and weather-damaged grain containing mycotoxins—case histories and economic assessments pertaining to pig and poultry industries of Queensland

“…Consequently, there is a reduction in starch accumulation and a corresponding increase in hull and fibrous portions (Taverner et al 1975;Moir and Connor 1977;Salmon and O'Neil 1977;Batterham et al 1980;Taverner and Farrell 1981); protein and lysine content are usually higher in absolute terms but less available for monogastric animals because of a predominance of the gluten proteins (McDermott and Pace 1960;Deyoe and Shellenberger 1965;Eggum 1977).…”

“…These are likely to result in some lowering of the nutritive value of high lipid grains such as maize. Consequently, the amount of fibre in the grain will increase relative to the decline in starch, protein components and lipid, sometimes leading to reductions in DE and ME content (Taverner et al 1975;Batterham et al 1980;Mannion et al 1987). However, Williams et al (1986) found DE to be only slightly affected in several batches of severely weather-damaged sorghum.…”

“…In such grain, fibre values are invariably higher and protein levels may also be increased. Batterham et al (1980) and Williams and Mclntosh (1986) Bulk density is a simple measurement which can be quickly made on-farm to assess semi-quantitatively DE content. This relationship is given in Table 1.…”

“…A more precise estimate of DE can be obtained using prediction equations based on chemical rather than physical attributes. Usually some form of fibre measurement is required (Batterham et al 1980;Taverner and Farrell 1981).…”