EFFECT OF FEEDING RUBBER SEED MEAL-BASED DIETS ON PERFORMANCE AND SERUM THIOCYANATE LEVEL OF GROWING-FINISHING PIGS

H.K. ONG and J. RADEM

SUMMARY

Forty Landrace x Duroc crossbred piglets were distributed to four dietary treatments which consist of the inclusion of 0, 10, 20 and 30% rubber seed meal (RSM). The feeding trial of 147 days duration was conducted to study the effect of detoxication of HCN in the pigs. Serum thiocyanate level was increased in pigs consuming more than 20% RSM. However, there were no goitrous symptoms. Packed cell volume were not significantly different among treatments. The results suggest that the pig is able to detoxify the amount of HCN in RSM-based diets without showing any goitrous or anaemic symptoms The RSM-based diets did not affect carcass characteristics of the pigs.

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