Productive Response of Fattening Pigs to the Substitution of Maize by Sorghum in their Diet

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect on productive performance of fattening pigs to substitute maize for different types and forms of sorghum. Five treatments, consisting of isoproteic and isoenergetic diets, were evaluated: T1: (control) on maize / soybean basis; T2: grain of low tannins sorghum (SBT) in substitution of maize; T3: high moisture grain silage (SGH) of SBT in substitution of maize; T4: SGH of medium tannins content sorghum (SMT) replacing 50 % of maize; T5: SAT grain replacing 50 % of maize. Thirty pigs were used, six per treatment, which were evaluated between 35 and 105 kg of live weight. Feeding was done at will. The parameters daily weight gain, daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio adjusted to 90 % dry matter were evaluated. There were no differences between treatments for any of the parameters evaluated. It is concluded that SBT, in the form of dry milled grain or SGH, can completely replace maize grain in diets for fattening pigs without affecting the parameters of productive response. In turn, it is possible to substitute 50 % of maize by SMT in the form of dry grain or SGH without consequences on the productive result.