Sunflower meal and supplementation of enzyme complex in diets for growing and finishing pigs

Abstract

Aiming to evaluate the performance of pigs from 30 to 100 kg of live a total of 96 pigs with average live weight of 32.19±3.27 kg were distributed in randomized blocks design in a 4 × 2 (four levels of SM: 0, 8, 16 and 24%; with or without inclusion of EC)  factorial arrangement with six replicates and two animals per experimental unit. The parameters analyzed were feed intake (kg), weight gain (kg), feed conversion (kg/kg), backfat thickness (mm), carcass muscularity (kg), hot carcass weight (%), percentage of lean meat in the carcass (%), and quantity of lean meat in the carcass (kg). There was no interaction between EC and SM levels in the diet. The addition of EC in the diet affected the performance of the animals, but not carcass characteristics. Feed conversion of animals from 30 to 70 kg weight was improved by the inclusion of EC. The increasing levels of SM in the diet presented quadratic effect on weight gain and on backfat thickness, with inclusion points of SM that promoted maximum values of these parameters of 7.26% and 8.16%, respectively.