INFLUENCE OF FEEDING CHITIN ON BODY WEIGHT GAIN AND FEED EFFICIENCY IN GROWING-FINISHING PIGS

摘要

Twenty-four weaned female piglets of Large White Yorkshire breed were divided into three groups of eighteach, and were housed and fed individually. The control group was fed with the standard farm ration, whilethe other two groups were given chitin supplements in the diet at levels, by weight, of 0.5 or 1.0 per cent. Theexperiment was continued till the pigs attained forty weeks of age. Average daily gain in weight and feedefficiency, measured at fortnightly intervals, were'significantly (p <0.05 or 0.01) higher for either of the chitin-fed groups as compared to those for the controls, while no significant difference was observed betweenthe two chitin-fed groups. Daily feed intake did not throw any significant difference between the groups.