Cotton seed meal as a protein source for pigs

Two experiments were conducted to determine, first, the digestibility coefficients, digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME ) and nitrogen balance by pigs in Ukiriguru variety of cottonseed meal in pig diets containing 0, 6, 12 and 18% cottton seed meal. Secondly, to study the effect of incorporation of Ukiriguru variety cottonseed meal in pig rations on performance and carcass characteristics. In the digestibility study the mean apparent digestability coefficients of cottonseed meal components of organic matter (OM), dry matter (DM), crude protein (C ')v crude fibre (CF), either extract (EE ) and nitrogen free extracts (NEE) were 66.3, 63.4, 73,11 .6, 67.3 and 70.5% respectively. The DE and ME were 2.9101 and 2.7243 Mcal/kg of DM, respectively and nitrogen retained was 50.7% of nitrogen intake. The calculated digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CF, EE and NFE in cottonseed meal alone decreased significantly with increasing, levels of cottonseed meal in diet probably because of the high CF in the test cottonseed meal. DE and ME were similarly affected. In the second study, thirty two is of average live weight of 25 kg were fed to a restricted scale on diets containing 0, 6, 12 and 18 % cottonseed meal at the expense of whole soybean meal. The rates of gain were 0.525, 0.558, 0:535 and 0.546 kg/day and efficiency of feed utilization were 3.82, 3.38.3.64 and 3.37 for 0, 6, 12 and 18% cotton seed meal diets respectively. Rate of gain and efficiency of feed utilization were not significantly affected (P40.05) by the diet treatment groups. The cost of feed per kg live weight and kg of meat produced decreased progressively when cottonseed meal was corporated at graded levels in diet. The carcass quality para meter of baekfat thickness, area of longissiumsdorsi muscle, carcass weight and length, killing out percentage, kidney fat weight were not affected by the level of cottonseed in the diet. Or an weight of kidneys, liver, heart, spleen and Iungs and weights of different meat cuts (ham, loin, chops, shoulder, jowl and belly) were also not influenced by level of cottonseed meal in the diet. From the findings of this study, it is concluded that since Ukiriguru variety cottonseed meal is abundant and cheap, it may be incorporated in pig diets at the level up to 18%.