Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Document Type
Thesis
Date of this Version
7-18-1958
Citation
Thesis (M.S.)—University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 1958. Department of Animal Husbandry.
Abstract
A pig starter ration is the most expensive ration in an entire swine feeding program.The baby pig requires both a high quality and quantity of nutrients in the starter ration.In as much as protein and carbohydrates make up the major portion of the starter ration, cost reduction efforts should begin with one or both of these essential ingredients.
Lactose has proved to be the carbohydrate of choice in pig starter rations when soybean oil, one of the least expensive commercial sources of protein, is used.Commercial lactose is available from several different sources as well as in several different forms.
Since the relative feeding value of three major sources of lactose was unknown, a study involving four different experiments was conducted.It was the purpose of this study to evaluate dried skimmilk, feed-grade lactose and dried whey as sources of lactose for baby pigs.
Four experiments involving two hundred and sixty-four baby pigs were used to evaluate several different commercial sources of lactose for baby pig starter rations. In the initial experiment, four ration treatments were studied, each containing a level of 20 percent lactose.Five ration treatments, each containing 48.8 percent lactose, were evaluated in the second experiment in this series of study.In a third experiment, dried whey and whey by-products were compared as sources of lactose for baby pig starter rations.In the last experiment of this series of study, ratios of dried skimmilk and whey were compared.
From these studies it has been shown that with the sources and types of lactose used in this study there is definitely a variation in the performance of the baby pig in the rate of gain and feed efficiency during the earlier part of his life (first five weeks).In this study the results obtained during the first experimental period (initial test period) did not appear to have any great reflection on the performance of the pig during the subsequent four-week test period.
Advisor: Ernest R. Peo, Jr.
Comments
Copyright 1958, the author. Used by permission.