Feed intake, weight gain and nutrient digestibility of large white Yorkshire pigs fed banana pseudo-stem silage and mixed silage of banana pseudo-stem and taro (Colocasia esculenta)

Abstract

Present study was undertaken to determine the effect of replacement of cereal grain (maize), at the rate of 25%, from the basal diet of the growing-finishing Large White Yorkshire (LWY) pigs with banana pseudo-stem silage and mixed silage of banana pseudo-stem and Taro (Colocasia esculenta), fermented, anaerobically, with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Enterococcus faecium. For the study a total of 18 healthy, weaned, male piglets, average body weight 15.097±0.71 kg, were randomly divided into three treatment groups (T1, T2, and T3) in a completely randomized block design with 6 piglets in each treatment group. Three experimental iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric diets were prepared and fed in two phase feeding programme i.e. growing phase (up to 35 kg body weight) and finishing phase (above 35 kg body weight) according to BIS, 1986 specification. In the experiment, T1 (Control) group was fed basal diet without silage while T2 and T3 group received diet with 25% replacement of cereal grain (maize) of the basal diet with banana pseudo-stem silage and mixed silage of banana pseudo-stem and Taro (Colocasia esculenta). In 180 days of feeding trial, the body weight gain of the LWY pigs in growing phase as well as finishing phase varied significantly (p