Effect of select menhaden fish meal in starter diets for pigs

Two trials were conducted to evaluate a select menhaden fish meal (SMFM) as a protein source in starter diets for 390, 3-wk-old weaned pigs. Initial weights averaged 4.8 and 5.5 kg in Trials 1 and 2, and trials were conducted for 5 and 4 wk, respectively. Diets in Trial 1 were formulated by substituting levels of 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 or 20% SMFM for soybean meal plus corn on a protein basis. The 20% fish meal diet contained no soybean meal; all diets contained between 19.8 and 20.2% CP, between 1.34 and 1.40% lysine and 25% dried whey. Replacement of soy protein with fish meal elicited a quadratic improvement (P = .01) in cumulative ADG and average daily feed intake (ADFI) by the end of wk 5. The diet containing 8% SMFM resulted in the maximum observed ADG; however, the maximum ADFI occurred in pigs fed the diet containing 12% SMFM. Breakpoint analysis indicated that 4.5 and 9.3% SMFM maximized ADG and ADFI, respectively. Addition of SMFM did not affect efficiency of feed utilization (F/G). In Trial 2, a 2 X 3 factorial with two levels of dried whey (10 or 20%) and three levels of SMFM (0, 4 or 8%), a SMFM X dried whey interaction (P less than .05) was observed for cumulative ADG and F/G by the of wk 4 with greater benefit from SMFM with 10% than with 20% dried whey.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)