Abstract 144

Lekule,-FP; Just,-A; Mtenga,-LA

Dep. Animal Science and Production, Sokoine Univ. Agriculture, PO Box 3004, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania.

East-African-Agricultural-and-Forestry-Journal. 1988, 53: 3, 105-109; 9 ref.

Fifty-four Large White X Landrace pigs, 27 barrows and 27 gilts, in 3 experiments were given 7 diets containing 100% sow and weaner meal; 80% rice polishings or 50-60% cassava and 20-40% cottonseed cake or 0-20% sunflower cake. Diets contained 12 to 16% crude protein, 5 to 11% crude fibre and metabolizable energy (ME) 12 to 15 MJ/kg, values likely to be used in East Africa. Pigs were fed ad libitum except in experiment 3 where half of the pigs were given feed at 3X maintenance requirements. Barrows had 20-30% higher daily gains, mainly due to higher feed intake, and tended to have thicker backfat, shorter carcasses, heavier kidney fat and higher dressing percentages. It is concluded that there are possible advantages in housing and feeding barrows and gilts separately, and that compounding of feeds at farm level using locally available feeds can greatly increase profitability of pig production.