Inclusion of broken rice in diets of pigs in the nursery phase

Abstract

We used 30 piglets, castrated male and female, weaned at average age of 21 days and average weight of 6.65kg, with the objective to evaluate the effect of the inclusion levels of broken rice on live performance, frequency of diarrhea and economic viability of piglets with 21-63 days old. The experimental design was randomized blocks with five treatments (levels of broken rice: 0.0, 14.0, 28.0, 42.0 and 56.0%) and six replicates per treatment, and the experimental unit consisted of one animal. In the performance results, according to regression analysis, no significant effects were observed among the levels of inclusion of broken rice in the variables, as well as no significant difference among the control treatment and treatments with the inclusion of broken rice. The results of frequency of diarrhea indicated that the inclusion of broken rice provided no changes in the incidence of diarrhea in the animals. The economic study proved viable up to the level of 56.0% of broken rice inclusion. It was concluded that the use of broken rice in diets for nursery pigs was technically and economically viable up to the level of 56.0% of inclusion.