Two experiments were carried out to evaluate sunflower meal (SM) as swine feeding on growing and finishing phases. In experiment 1, eight barrows with 30.41kg liveweight were allocated in metabolic individual cages to evaluate the digestibility of sunflower meal. In experiment 2 a total of 48 pigs (24 barrows and 24 females), Large White x Landrace cross, were allotted to four treatments: diet without SM, diet with 7% of SM, diet with 14% of SM and diet with 21% of SM. The animals were evaluated from 25.82kg to 92.33kg liveweight. Daily weight gain (DWG), daily feed intake (DFI) and feed gain ratio (FGR) were evaluated during four periods (growing I, growing II, finishing and total period). All animals were slaughtered and submitted to an electronic carcass evaluation at the end of the experiment. The backfat depth (BP), muscle depth (MD), carcass weight (CW), lean meat percentage (LM), kilogram of lean meat (KLM) and carcass yield (CY) were evaluated. The digestible and metabolizable energy values of SM were 2171 and 2036 kcal/kg, respectively. There were no regression effect on performance characteristics for the levels of SM. There were significant differences for sex factor. The barrows were better to DWG and DFI during the growing phase II and total period. There were no regression effect on carcass characteristics for the levels of SM however, BD and CW characteristics were significantly greater for barrows than females. The rations cost was similar among treatments. In inclusion, the rations up to 21% of SM for growing and finishing pigs, did not affect performance and carcass characteristics.
carcass; performance; sunflower meal; sunflower; swine
