The experiment was carried out to verify the effect of different soybean hull (SH) inclusion levels on isoenergetic growing-finishing pig diets. Forty crossbred pigs, barrows and gilts, with 27.8 ± 2.1kg of BW, were blocked according to the weight and distributed in a randomized way in five treatments, with four replicates of two pigs per pen (experimental unit). The treatments consisted of the inclusion of 0; 4; 8; 12 and 16% of ground SH (2.5mm) on isoenergetic diets (16.4 and 15.0% CP and 3,385 and 3,390 kcal DE kg-1 for growing and finishing phases, respectively. None of the performance parameters were influenced by SH inclusion on diets. The crescent SH levels promoted linear reduction on the back fat thickness (BT) and an increase of shrinkage chilling (SCh), hot carcass yield (HCY) and cold carcass yield (CCY). To the variables hot carcass weight (HCW) and cold carcass weight (CCW) were observed quadratic effects and smaller values were observed with 8.0% of SH inclusion. The SH increase level also increase the SCh, worst the carcass yield and decrease the BT. No difference was observed to the length carcass, ham weight, loin muscle area and meat: fat ratio. The results suggest that the inclusion up to 16% of SH on growing-finishing pigs diets does not change their performance and can produce leaner carcasses.
alternative feedstuffs; carcass; animal nutrition; vegetable by products; swine
