The effect of varying dietary protein and antibiotic levels on the performance of weanling local pigs

Abstract

Two feeding trials were carried out to examine the effect of graded dietary levels of protein and antibiotics on the performance of weanling local pigs. In the first trial, 5 groups of 12 pigs each, were fed a 16% protein diet containing respectively, 5 graded levels of strepcillin (0, 25, 50 75, 100g/tonne of diet). In the second trail, 9 groups of 8 pigs each, were fed 9 different diets respectively, in a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments (3 protein levels of 12, 15, 18%, 3 stepcillin levels of 0, 50, 75g/tonne). Daily gains, feed efficiency, scouring incidence, dry matter and crude protein digestibilities were recorded. Increasing dietary strepcillin improved (P <.05) growth rate and feed efficiency. The improvement plateaued at 75g strepcillin/tonne diet. A non-significant (P>.05) protein x antibiotics reduced scouring incidence, but had no significant effect on nutrient digestibilities.