Torta da amêndoa da macaúba para suínos em terminação

Abstract

Alternative foods have potential for inclusion in animal diets. Thus, we assessed the effect of increasing levels of macaúba seed in diet on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing pigs. The experiment lasted 27 days from January to February 2014 in Salinas-MG. The design was in randomized blocks with 5 treatments and 4 replications, 20 castrated males and 20 females from crosses TOPIGS-20 X AGPIC-425, selected for high lean meat gain. The treatments were: T1 - diet control, T2 = diet with 5 % macaúba seed cake; T3 = diet with 10 % macaúba seed cake; T4 = diet with 15% macaúba seed cake; T5 = diet with 20% macaúba seed cake. The animals were weighed at the beginning and end of the period to determine the daily weight gain, daily feed intake and feed conversion. We collected Data from hot carcass weight, backfat thickness at the tenth rib backfat thickness at the last rib and carcass length. The data were not significant by Dunnett's test, as compared to control, meaning that the macaúba seed cake can be added to a level of 20 % in the diet for finishing pigs.