The effect of taro and banana pseudo-stem (Musa Aduminata) silage with rice bran as basal diet on the growth performance of Lao native pigs

Abstract

This study was designed to compare between the silages of taro and banana pseudo-stem on growth performance of Lao native pigs. Sixteen pigs (body weight = 10.40 ± 0.60 kg) were allocated to four dietary treatments, with four pens per treatment and one pig per pen. Basal diets were rice bran 50%  + 50 % food waste (T1), silage of banana pseudo-stem 25% +  taro silage  25% + rice bran 50% (T2), taro silage 40% + rice bran 40% + 20% rice distiller by-product (T3), and silage of banana pseudo-stem 20% + taro silage 20% + rice bran 40% + 20% of distiller’s by-product (T4) and fed for 90 days. Growth performance was affected by dietary treatments over the total experimental period. The values of average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily gain (ADG) in T1 was higher than other treatments (p<0.001). In contrast, lowest value of Feed/Gain was found in T2, (p<0.017). Highest fat thickness was also indicated in T1 (p<0.012). In conclusion, pig fed silages of taro and banana pseudo-stem has beneficial effects on the ADFI, ADG, Feed/Gain and fat thickness (p<0.05). To find the specific factors affecting pig growth performance, and sufficient nutrient intake in growing pig is critical concerns for future study.