Effect of extruded linseed incorporation in sows and/or pigs' diets on growth performance and carcass quality

Poster. Three batches of growing fattening crossbred (Large White x Landrace) x (Piétrain x Large White) gilts and barrows were used to study the growth performance and carcass quality when extruded linseed was incorporated in sows and/or pigs diets at the following rates : 0/0 (treatment TTEM), 0/2% (treatment TLIN) or 3.5/2% (treatment LLIN). Within each physiological stage, diets were formulated on the same net energy and digestible amino acid bases. During the fattening period, pigs were fed ad libitum.Neither average daily gain, daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio, muscle content, water losses, pH1 nor meat colour were significantly influenced by the dietary treatment. Extruded linseed is most often used in pigs' diets in order to improve the nutritional value of pork, especially through a decreased ratio between ω6 and ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. According to the present study, carried out under optimal fattening conditions, extra cost induced by this strategy would not be balanced by the positive effects observed only for average daily gain during the growing period and pH24. More investigations have to be carried out in poorer sanitary conditions.