Utilisation of dried cuttle fish (Sepia officialis) waste silage for growth in crossbred (large white yorkshire x desi) pigs

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of dried cuttle fish waste silage, on growth, feed conversion efficiency, digestibility of nutrients, carcass characteristics and economics of gain in growing and finishing pigs. Fifteen male and fifteen female weaned crossbred (Large White Yorkshire x Desi, 50 per cent) piglets with an average body weight of 13.50 kg were divided into three homogeneous groups of ten piglets in each, with regard to age, sex and body weight. The three groups of piglets were maintained for 152 days on three isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets T1, T2 and T3 in which crude protein from unsalted dried fish was replaced by the protein of dried cuttle fish waste silage at 0, 50 and 100 per cent level. The piglets on the three groups were fed their respective grower rations which contained 18 per cent crude protein and 3200 kcal digestible energy per kg until they attained an average body weight of 50 kg and thereafter changed to finisher rations containing 14 per cent crude protein and 3100 kcal digestible energy per kg until the animals were slaughtered. A digestibility trial was conducted towards the end of the experiment using chromic oxide added at 0.05 per cent to each diet as external indicator. At the end of the experiment six animals from each treatment were slaughtered randomly to study the carcass characteristics. The animals maintained under the three dietary treatments T1, T2 and T3 had almost similar growth rate (P>0.05) with a cumulative average daily gain of 370.31, 353.15 and 364.90 g, respectively. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in cumulative feed conversion efficiency between groups, the values being 4.16, 4.28 and 4.26 for the three dietary treatments T1, T2 and T3, respectively. The digestibility coefficients of dry matter and crude protein were higher for the diets T3 and T1 than that of T2, respectively. The digestibility coefficients of ether extract, crude fibre and nitrogen free extract were similar for the three diets T1, T2 and T3. Dressing percentage and carcass characteristics such as carcass length, back fat thickness, loin eye area, meat percentage and meat bone ratio were not significantly influenced by the inclusion of dried cuttle fish waste silage. The cost of feed per kg live weight gain of pigs in the three dietary treatments T1, T2 and T3 were Rs.35.15, 34.40 and 32.25, respectively. The dietary treatments T2 and T3 were economically efficient at 2 and 8 per cent over T1.The above results indicate that the dried cuttle fish waste silage can be used economically as a substitute for unsalted dried fish in the rations of growing and finishing pigs on protein basis, without any adverse effect on growth rate, feed conversion efficiency, digestibility of nutrients and carcass characteristics.