The cost-benefit analysis of early weaned piglets fed with different protein sources

Abstract

This study was carried out to analyse the economic effects of early weaning and of feeding with diets containing different protein sources in early weaned piglets. One hundred and fourteen piglets were used in this study. Fifty-four piglets were fed by suckling their mothers for 20 days and they weaned on day 21 and they were equally assigned to 2 experimental groups and 1 control group. Sixty piglets were fed by suckling their mothers for 27 days and they were weaned on day 28. These piglets were also assigned to 2 experimental groups and 1 control group. The first experimental groups were fed a sunflower seed meal diet and the second experimental groups were fed a soybean meal diet for 4 weeks. Both control groups were fed food waste after they were weaned. The 2 major groups with different weaning dates did not reveal any significant differences (P > 0.05) with respect to feed intake between groups. in spite of this, body weight gains were higher (P < 0.05) in the experimental groups compared to both control groups, while no significant differences (P > 0.05) were determined in the comparison between the experimental groups. The within-group comparisons of the major groups demonstrated higher (P < 0.05) body weight gain in the experimental groups weaned on day 28 compared to the control group. Although average body weight and daily body weight gain in the control groups that were fed food waste were lower compared to the experimental groups, cost-benefit analysis of this study showed that the use of food waste, which costs only 1 YTL, was more profitable than other feeding methods.