#12-193
CompleteCategory
Animal Science - Swine NutritionDate Full Report Received
04/21/2014Date Abstract Report Received
04/21/2014Funded By
National Pork BoardThe mean DE content of the 2011 and 2012 corn samples were 3.72 and 3.68 Mcal/kg of dry matter (DM), respectively, and varied among samples by approximately 8%. The mean ME content of the 2011 and 2012 corn samples were 3.50 and 3.47 Mcal/kg DM, respectively, and varied among samples by approximately 5%. The mean NE content of the 2011 and 2012 corn samples were 2.61 and 2.57 Mcal/kg DM, respectively, and varied among samples by approximately 8%. Test weight, broken kernels and foreign material, density (measured using NIR), starch (measured using NIR), and fat (measured using both NIR and wet chemistry) were similar for both 2011 and 2012 crop samples. CP did tend to be slightly higher in the corn grown in 2012 (9.18%) compared with the 2011 control samples (8.56%). Neutral detergent fiber was significantly higher in the corn grown in 2012 (8.19%) when compared with 2011 (6.92%). Total damaged kernels were also significantly higher in the 2012 (1.65% vs 0.90). Mean 1,000 kernel weights of the 2011 and 2012 corn samples were 338 and 284 grams, respectively, and varied among samples by approximately 120%. Yield, the criterion used for the initial screening of drought-impact on the corn, ranged from 39 to 236 bu/acre among samples. Overall, there were no major differences in energy values (DE, ME, NE) between the 2011 control samples and the 2012 samples when fed to growing pigs. The variation in energy of corn grown under drought-stressed conditions was no different than what we expect to see in variation during a “normal” year. Additionally, no relationships were found between DE and any corn quality measurement, physical or chemical, which may be due to only observing relatively small variation in energy digestibility among the corn samples. Therefore, we can conclude that corn grown under drought-stressed conditions, irrespective of yield, can be utilized in swine diets and fed the same as corn grown under “normal” conditions without concern of large energy differences. This agrees with the industry remarks that performance problems were not observed when feeding corn grown in 2012.