Rice oil in weanling pig diet

• Grant number: 09/16577-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: January 01, 2010
• End date: December 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Valdomiro Shigueru Miyada
• Grantee: Valdomiro Shigueru Miyada
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Weaning is considered a critical period for piglets due to nutritional, immunological, social, and environmental challenges. A recent research showed beneficial effects of dietary added rice oil on weanling pig performance. Two experiments will be carried out to evaluate rice oil digestibility and its effects on weanling pig performance, organs morphometry and intestinal morphology. In Experiment 1, three treatments will be tested: T1 - reference diet (RD); T2 - 90% RD + 10,0% rice oil; T3 - 90% RD + 10,0% soybean oil. Forty-eight barrows will be utilized for this digestibility assay, using the method of partial faeces collection and chromic oxide as the marker. A randomized complet block design with three treatments, eight replications per treatment and two animals per experimental unit will be used. In Experiment 2, 120 weanling pigs will be utilized to evaluate the effect of dietary rice oil on performance, organs morphometry and intestinal epithelium histology. Treatments will consist on different levels of soybean oil (SO) substitution for rice oil (RO): T1 - 4,0% of SO; T2 - 3,0% of SO and 1,0% of RO; T3 - 2,0% of SO and 2,0% of RO; T4 - 1,0% of SO and 3,0% of RO; T5 - 4,0% of RO. A randomized complete block design with five treatments, eight replications and three animals per experimental unit will be used. (AU)