Feeding different types of cooked white rice to piglets after weaning influences starch digestion, digesta and fermentation characteristics and the faecal shedding of beta-haemolytic Escherichia coli.
Forty-eight, 21-d-old pigs were used to examine the effects of different types of cooked white rice on starch digestion, digesta and fermentation characteristics, shedding of beta-haemolytic Escherichia coli and performance after weaning. Pigs received one of three rice-based diets: (i) medium-grain Amaroo (AM), (ii) long-grain Doongara (DOON), and (iii) waxy (WAXY). The remainder of the diet consisted predominantly of animal proteins. A fourth diet contained mainly wheat, barley and lupins (WBL). On days 1, 3, 7 and 9 after weaning, a faecal swab was taken for assessment of beta-haemolytic E. coli and faecal consistency. Apparent digestibility of starch measured in the ileum 14 d after weaning was highest (P = 0.004) in AM and WAXY and lowest, but the same (P>0.05), in DOON and WBL. Starch digestibility in the rectum was highest in all rice diets (P < 0.001). Digesta viscosity was highest in pigs fed WBL in both the ileum (P < 0.001) and caecum (P = 0.027). Pigs fed rice generally had lighter (P < 0.05) gastrointestinal organs than pigs fed WBL. Performance of pigs was similar for all treatments; however, pigs fed rice-based diets had a higher (P < 0.001) carcass percentage than pigs fed WBL. Pigs fed WBL produced more acid (P < 0.05) but had lower molar proportions of acetate (P < 0.05), isobutyrate (P < 0.01) and isovalerate (P < 0.001) and a higher molar proportion of butyrate (P < 0.01) in the large intestine than pigs fed rice. Shedding of E. coli was low; however, pigs fed AM and WBL shed less E. coli than pigs fed other diets.
Pluske
John R
JR
School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia. J.Pluske@murdoch.edu.au
Montagne
Lucile
L
Cavaney
Fiona S
FS
Mullan
Bruce P
BP
Pethick
David W
DW
Hampson
David J
DJ
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002432:Cecum / Q000502:physiology; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005285:Fermentation / Q000502:physiology*; D001467:Hordeum / Q000502:physiology; D007082:Ileum / Q000502:physiology; D031297:Lupinus / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012007:Rectum / Q000502:physiology; D013213:Starch / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine; D014908:Triticum / Q000502:physiology; D014783:Viscosity; D014886:Weaning
D013213:Starch