Effect of method of processing cassava leaves on intake, digestibility and N retention by Ba Xuyen piglets

摘要

TheexperimentwasconductedatAnGiangUniversity,VietNamwheretheannualtemperatureduringtheexperimentrangedfrom27to38°C.Theaimofthestudywastodeterminetheeffectofmethodofprocessingcassavaleavesontheintake,apparentdigestibilityandnitrogenretentionbyindigenouspigletsofdietsbasedonbrokenrice.nbsp;Fourindigenouspigletsof8.3to9.7kgand3monthsofagewereusedintheexperiment.Theywerehousedinindividualbamboocagesandallocatedtotwotreatmentsaccordingtoasinglechangeoverdesign.Thetreatmentswerecassavaleavesgivenadlibituminfreshorwiltedformassupplementstoabasaldietofbrokenricefedattherateof2%(DM)ofliveweight.TheactualintakesofcassavaleavesandtotalDMweresimilarbetweenthetwotreatments(P0.05).Totaldrymatterintakewasratherlowintherangefrom2.6to2.8%ofbodyweight.nbsp;Thecassavaleavesrepresentedfrom24to27.4%ofthetotaldietdrymatter,providingabout50%ofthetotaldietaryprotein.HCNlevelswerereducedbywiltingthecassavaleaves(from269to42mg/kgDM).AveragevaluesforDM,OMandnbsp;Ndigestibilitywere89.1,89.7and73.9%forthedietwithfreshcassavaleaves,andforthedietwithnbsp;wiltedcassavaleaves,nbsp;90.9,91.7and76.6%,anddidnotdifferbetweentreatments(P0.05).Therewasnotreatmenteffect(P0.05)onNretention(1.93and2.16g/dayforfreshandwiltedcassavaleaves).NitrogenretentionaspercentofNintakeandNdigestedwerenotsignificantlyaffected(P0.05)byprocessingofnbsp;cassavaleaves.Therewasnosignificantdifferencebetweentreatmentsinthefeedingbehaviourofthepiglets(P0.05).Basedontheresultsofthisresearchitwasconcludedthatfreshcassavaleavescansafelybefedtogrowingpigsatlevelsuptoabout25%ofthediet.TheHCNcontentinthefreshleavesdidnotappeartobeaconstraintastherewasnoadvantageinwiltingtheleaveswhichreducedbysix-foldthelevelofHCN.