The objective of this study was to determine the digestibility coefficient (DC) of nutrients and the digestible energy (DE), and metabolizable energy (ME) values of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) produced in Brazil by different methods. Eight barrows with 23.3±4.1 kg were housed in metabolic cages in a randomized block design and fed diets containing 0, 200, 400, and 600 g kg^–1 of corn DDGS. We determined the digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), mineral matter (MM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and gross energy (GE) by the total collection (TC) and chromium oxide marker (Cr) methods. Distillers dried grains with solubles provided the respective DM, OM, CP, EE, MM, NDF, and GE values of 910, 863, 286, 66.9, 46.8, 500 g kg^–1, and 4,780 kcal kg^–1. The DE and ME values of DDGS were 3,739 and 3,401 kcal kg^–1 and 3,691 and 3,213 kcal kg^–1 as determined by TC and Cr methods, respectively. The growing inclusion of DDGS did not affect the DE or ME values. The digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CP, EE, MM, and NDF were 767, 765, 827, 691, 883, and 821 g kg^–1, respectively, by the total collection method. The Cr underestimated the values of all variables compared with TC method. Levels up to 600 g kg^–1 of the test ingredient do not influence the DE and ME of DDGS, but compromises the digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, and NDF.

A total of 168 finishing pigs were used to investigate the effects of gender (barrows and gilts) and transport densities for slaughter (236, 251, and 275 kg/m²) on stress indicators and carcass and pork quality. The animals transported at 251 kg/m² (T251) presented cortisol values below those at 236 kg/m2 (T236), but no different from those at 275 kg/m2 (T275). The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) values in pigs transported at T236 were the lowest. The blood components did not differ between T236 and T275. The pH values at 45 min (pH45) and at 24 h (pH24) postmortem were higher for pigs subjected to T236. However, the pH45 was higher at T251 than at T275, but pH24 was lower at T251 than at T275. The lightness values in the muscles of the pigs transported at T236 and T251 were higher than those at T275. Lower drip loss values were observed in the muscle of animals at T251. Carcasses of pigs at T236 contained more 1–5 cm lesions while those at T275 contained more 5–10 cmlesions in sections of loin. No significant effects of gender were found on the stress indicators, blood components, pH45, pH24, color, drip loss or carcass lesions in general. These results indicate that the pre-slaughter transport of pigs at densities of 251 kg/m² generates less physiological damage and smaller losses on carcass and pork quality irrespective of gender.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the digestibility and energy of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from corn and sorghum with or without xylanase enzyme in diets for pigs. The values of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), mineral matter (MM), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), gross (GE), digestible (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), and digestibility coefficients (DC) were determined. In the experiment 1, we used eight barrows of 26.15±3.45 kg with repeated measures in three periods of five days of collection. The treatments consisted of a reference diet (RD); RD with 200 g kg⁻¹ corn DDGS or sorghum DDGS; and RD with 400 g kg⁻¹ corn DDGS or sorghum DDGS. Corn DDGS showed higher values of DE, ME, and DC of EE, GE, and CP. Inclusions of 400 g kg⁻¹ of the test ingredients resulted in higher values of DE and ME and trend for higher DC of DM, OM, and CP. In experiment 2, nine barrows weighing 34.91±1.46 kg were fed RD, 200 g kg⁻¹ corn DDGS or 200 g kg⁻¹ corn DDGS plus xylanase enzyme. The inclusion of xylanase did not influence the digestibility and energy values in diets containing corn DDGS. Values of DE and ME of corn DDGS were 3,477 and 3,277 kcal kg⁻¹, respectively, for the substitution of 200 g kg⁻¹ and 3,761 and 3,068 kcal kg⁻¹ for the substitution of 400 g kg⁻¹ RD. For sorghum DDGS, DE and ME values were 3,030 and 2,863 kcal kg⁻¹, respectively, for replacement of 200 g kg⁻¹ and 3,398 and 3,296 kcal kg⁻¹ for substitution of 400 g kg⁻¹ RD. Levels of up to 400 g kg⁻¹ do not influence the DE and ME of the diets but impair the digestibility coefficient of DM, OM, CP, EE, MM, and NDF. The use of xylanase enzyme in diets containing 200 g kg⁻¹ of corn DDGS does not affect the digestibility of the diets.

Foi conduzido um experimento com o objetivo de avaliar níveis de ácido fólico em dietas suplementadas com ácido fórmico para leitões de 21 a 48 dias de idade. Foram utilizados 160 leitões de 5,67 ± 0,90 kg, em um delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados, com cinco tratamentos, oito repetições e quatro animais por repetição. Formularam-se duas dietas basais, pré-inicial I (21 a 35 dias) e pré-inicial II (36 a 48 dias), balanceadas para atender às exigências nutricionais dos animais e adicionadas de ácido fórmico em 0,24 e 0,20%, respectivamente. Os tratamentos consistiram de cinco níveis de ácido fólico: 0; 0,30; 0,60; 0,90 e 1,20 mg/kg de ração. O desempenho dos leitões foi avaliado nos períodos de 21 a 35, 36 a 48 e 21 a 48 dias de idade. No 49º dia, os animais submetidos a jejum e oito leitões por tratamento foram destinados à coleta de sangue, para confecção de hemograma e quantificação de folato. Não houve efeito dos níveis de ácido fólico sobre o consumo médio diário de ração (CMDR) em nenhum dos períodos analisados. A adição de ácido fólico melhorou o ganho de peso médio diário de forma quadrática, enquanto a conversão alimentar foi influenciada pelos níveis de ácido fólico apenas no período de 21 a 35 dias. Os valores de hematócrito, hemoglobina e hemácias aumentaram de forma linear conforme os níveis de ácido fólico. Os valores de folato sérico diminuíram com o aumento de ácido fólico na dieta. Dietas com ácido fórmico para leitões de 21 a 48 dias de idade devem ser suplementadas com 0,64 mg de ácido fólico por kg de ração.

Bone characteristics of pigs fed different sources of phosphorus