Effects of expanded diets and phase feeding programme on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality in growing-finishing pigs

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of expanded diets and phase feeding programmes in growing-finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, a total of 72 pigs (25.88 ± 1.34 kg) were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments: (1) unexpanded corn-wheat-soybean meal (CWSBM)-based diets with two-phase feeding programme; (2) expanded CWSBM-based diets with two-phase feeding programme; (3) unexpanded CWSBM-based diets with three-phase feeding programme. During 12-14 weeks and 1-14 weeks, pigs offered the expanded diets had lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared with those fed unexpanded diets (P < .05). In Exp. 2, 120 growing pigs (20.51 ± 0.62 kg) were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments: (1) unexpanded corn-soybean meal (CSBM)-based diets with twophase feeding programme; (2) expanded CSBM-based diets with two-phase feeding programme; (3) unexpanded CSBM-based diets with three-phase feeding programme. During 15-17 weeks, pigs fed expanded diets had increased daily gain and decreased FCR compared with those fed unexpanded diet (P < .05). In conclusion, expanded CWSBM-or CSBM-based diets improved growth performance of growing-finishing pigs. Phase feeding programmes did not affect growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality in growing-finishing pigs fed CWSBM-or CSBM-based diets.