Effects of fish meal on weaning pigs' growth performance

Poster. This trial was conducted to evaluate fish meal as a raw material in starter diets for 540, 4 weeks old weaned pigs (7.8 kg initial weight). Diets were formulated by substituting levels of 3, 6 and 9 % fish meal (70 % CP) for soybean meal, synthetic amino acids, soybean oil, limestone and phosphate. These diets were compared to a control diet during the 8‐12 kg bodyweight range. All diets contained 15 % of dried whey and no other protein sources than soybean meal and synthetic amino acids. The pen was considered as the experimental unit. 9 experimental units per treatment (15 pigs per pen) received each diet ad libitum until 42 days of age.Addition of fish meal did not affect feed intake, average daily gain and efficiency of feed utilisation (P>0.10). These piglets were then used to compare the addition of 4 % fish meal (65 % CP) during the 12‐30 kg bodyweight range. Each pen was attributed to one of the two experimental diets, taking into account the previous diet received. The diets were distributed ad libitum until 63 days of age. As it was observed before 12 kg bodyweight, no improvement of fish meal addition was obtained (P>0.10).