Department of Animal Science
Date of this Version
January 2004
Abstract
This experiment was conducted to compare the nutritional value, measured by digestible and metabolizable energy, and nitrogen digestibility in young pigs fed either Roundup Ready corn (DKC5740) or non-transgenic corn (DKC5738). The experiment used 12 barrows with an initial body weight of 76.3 lb. The pigs were housed in stainless steel metabolism crates and were randomly allotted to one of two corn treatments, either Roundup Ready corn or control corn. The diets were formulated to contain 97.5% of one of the two varieties of corn and 2.5% minerals and vitamins. The duration of the experiment was 14 days, which included a seven-day adaptation period followed by a seven day total fecal and urine collection period. Feed intake was based on initial body weight and pigs had ad libitum access to water. The digestible energy intakes (dry matter basis; 3.74 versus 3.75 Mcal/d) and the energy digestibility, as a percentage of dry matter intake (86.6 versus 86.9%) were similar(P>0.60) between the Roundup Ready corn and control corn. The metabolizable energy intakes (dry matter basis; 3.64 versus 3.66 Mcal/d) and the metabolizable energy, as a percentage of dry matter intake, (84.5 versus 84.8%) were similar (P>0.40) between the Roundup Ready corn and control corn for nitrogen intake (0.038 versus 0.040 lb/d), nitrogen digested (0.031 versus 0.032 lb/d), nitrogen digested (0.031 versus 0.032 lb/d), nitrogen retained (0.014 versus 0.014 lb/d), or nitrogen digestibility (80.1 versus 81.3%). The results of this experiment indicate that energy and nitrogen utilization is similar between diets containing either the Roundup Ready corn or non-transgenic control corn when fed to young pigs. Thus, this transgenic corn can be fed to young pigs without negatively affecting nitrogen or energy digestibility.
Comments
Published in 2003 Nebraska Swine Report, compiled by Duane Reese, Extension Swine Specialist, Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Published by Cooperative Extension Division, Agricultural Research Division, and Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska–Lincoln.