Growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics of finisher pigs offered either a by-product or cereal based diet at two different concentrations of net energy

Abstract A 2 (cereal plus soybean meal (SBM) and by-product based diets) × 2 (9.3 MJ NE (net energy)/kg and 9.9 MJ NE/kg) factorial experiment was used to investigate the inclusion effects of a combination of rapeseed meal (RSM) and maize distillers dried grain with solubles (MDDGS) at two NE concentrations in diets offered to finisher pigs on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics. One hundred and sixty pigs (80 males, 80 females) with an initial live weight of 47.5 kg (SD 3.93 kg) were assigned to one of four dietary treatments: (T1) a cereal based diet formulated to give 9.3 MJ NE/kg; (T2) a cereal based diet formulated to give 9.9 MJ NE/kg; (T3) a by-product based diet formulated to give 9.3 MJ NE/kg; (T4) a by-product based diet formulated to give 9.9 MJ NE/kg. The by-product diet included 350 g/kg MDDGS and 210 g/kg of RSM. The diets were formulated to contain similar levels of standardized ileal digestible lysine (8.5 g/kg). Soya oil was included in the diet to increase the NE content. Pigs offered the cereal based diet had a higher (P