Influence of different fibre sources in diets for growing pigs on chemical composition of faeces and slurry and ammonia emission from slurry

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The present study was carried out to investigate how three different fibre sources, sugar beet pulp, soya bean hulls and pectin residue, in diets for growing pigs influenced the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in faeces, pH-value in faeces and slurry, excretion of nitrogen in urine and faeces and ammonia emission from slurry under dynamic conditions. Eight castrated crossbreed pigs (30-80 kg live weight) were used in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin-square design with one control diet and three fibre containing diets. The ammonia emission was measured continuously over 46 h from an open-air-circuit respiration chamber where faeces and urine were mixed in a slurry tray when voided from the pigs. The total concentration of SCFA in faeces was higher for the fibre diets (143-8-155.0 mmol/kg faeces) compared to the control diet (119.6 mmol/kg faeces), although it was only significantly higher for the diets with sugar beet pulp and pectin residue. The fibre diets influenced the excretion of nitrogen because nitrogen was repartitioned from urine to faeces. The pH-value in faeces was significantly lower for the fibre diets (6.57-6.73) compared to the control diet (7.00). There was a tendency for a diet effect on the pH-value in slurry (P=0.05), whereas, the ammonia emission was not affected by the dietary treatments. The pectin residue diet, with the lowest pH-value in faeces, resulted in numerically the lowest pH-value in slurry and ammonia emission from slurry. It can be concluded that inclusion of sugar beet pulp, soya bean hulls and pectin residue in diets for growing pigs may alter the chemical composition of faeces and slurry, whereas, the effect on ammonia emission under dynamic conditions requires further investigations.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAnimal Feed Science and Technology
Volume134
Issue number3-4
Pages (from-to)326-336
Number of pages11
ISSN0377-8401
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2007

    Research areas

  • Former LIFE faculty - Dietary fibre, Short-chain fatty acids, pH, Nitrogen, Ammonia emission, Pigs

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