Effect of processing cassava leaves and supplementing them with DL-methionine, on intake, growth and feed conversion in crossbred growing pigs

摘要

Eighteencrossbred(localxlandrace)castratedmalepigswithinitialmeannbsp;bodyweightsat24.5±0.84kg(rangeof19to30kg)wereallocatedtoindividualpensin3blocksaccordingtobodyweight,andwithinblockstoa2*3factorialarrangementof6treatments.ThefirstfactorwaswithorwithoutsupplementaryDL-methionine;thesecondfactorwasprocessingcassavaleaves(dried,ensiledorfresh).Theotherdietaryingredientswerericebran,cassavarootsilageanddriedfish.Thefeedingtriallastedfor90daysfrom03rdNovember2008toFebruary2009.nbsp;Therewasnohealthprobleminanyofthepigsduringthewholeofexperiment.TotalDMintakewasincreasedbysupplementationwithDL-methionineandwashighestwhencassavaleaveswereensiled.Cassavaleavesprovidedcloseto50%ofthedietDMnbsp;andover60%ofthedietarycrudeprotein.nbsp;HCNlevelswerehighestonthetreatmentwithfreshcassavaleavesandlowestwhentheleavesweresun-dried.Growthrateswereincreasedbymethioninesuppplementationandtendednbsp;tobelowerwhenthecassavaleaveswereprocessedbysun-drying.Therewerenointeractionsbetweenmethioninesupplementationandcassavaleafprocessing.nbsp;Feedconversionratiowasimprovedwhenthecassavaleaveswerefedfreshcomparedwithsun-drying,withintermediatevalueswhentheleaveswereensiled.Therewasnorelationshipbetweenintakeofcyanogenicglucosides(measuredintermsofpotentialreleaseofHCN)andperformancetraits.