Total apparent digestibility and nitrogen balance in Cinta Senese pigs: utilization of field bean (Vicia faba l.)

Abstract

This work aimed to study the digestive capacity and the nitrogen balance in Cinta Senese pigs in comparison with LargeWhite pigs, employing field bean and soybean as protein sources. Twelve 5-month old barrows, 6 Cinta Senese (CS) and6 Large White (LW), were submitted to trials in metabolism cage to determine apparent digestibility and nitrogen balanceof diets containing soybean meal (S diet) or field bean (F diet), 10% and 20% respectively, as the protein source.CS showed lower digestibility coefficients for all the nutritive fractions than LW pigs (DM: 85.33% vs. 82.87%; CP:86.38% vs. 84.17%; ADF 51.35% vs. 43.31%). Nitrogen retention, also, was less favorable in CS pigs, which showed a20% higher excretion (fecal + urinary) value of total N ingested (59.88% vs. 48.60%). Differences between the dietswere limited. Field beans, containing only 0.25% of tannin as used here, appear a valuable protein source in pig nutrition,even in local breeds such as CS.

Keywords

• Cinta Senese, Pig, Apparent digestibility, Nitrogen balance, Field beans.