Abstract
For two feeding trials, weanling pigs were divided into five comparable groups of eight pigs per group. A group of pigs was assigned at random to each of the five diets in which the source of supplemental protein was: Diet 1, 100% soybean meal; Diet 2, 75% soybean meal and 25% peanut meal; Diet 3, 50% soybean meal and 50% peanut meal; Diet 4, 25% soybean meal and 75% peanut meal; Diet 5, 100% peanut meal. Pigs on Diets 1 and 2 gained weight faster than pigs on Diets 3 and 4 which in turn gained faster than pigs on Diet 5 (P>.05). Pigs on Diets 1 and 2 ate less feed and required less feed per unit of gain than pigs on Diets 3 and 4 which in turn consumed less feed and required less feed per unit of gain than pigs on Diet 5 (P>.05). Carcass length and backfat depth were similar (P>.05) for pigs on all diets. Area of the Longissimus dorsi muscle at the 10th rib (loin-eye area) was similar (P>.05) for pigs on Diets 1, 2 and 3 but was smaller in pigs on Diet 4 and a further decrease occurred in pigs on Diet 5 (P<.05). The weight of lean cuts for pigs on Diets 1, 2, 3 and 4 was similar (P>.05) but was less (P<.05) for pigs on Diet 5. Although tremendous increases in per acre yields of peanuts have been obtained in recent years, there has been no improvement in protein quality of peanut meal as measured by performance of growing-finishing pigs.
Author notes
1Supported by State and Hatch Funds allocated to the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations and by Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Peanuts who supplied the peanut meal used in these studies. The authors express their appreciation to Prof. J. Frank McGill and Dr. Ronald J. Henning of the Georgia Cooperatie Extension Service, Tifton, GA for help in securing the peanut meal and for advice in preparing the manuscript.