The Use of Leucaena leucacephala Leaf Meal as a Protein Supplement for Pigs

Zakayo, G.; Krebs, G. L.; Mullan, B. P.

doi:2000.13.9.1309

Article

Swine Nutrition and Feed Technology

Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 2000;13(9): 1309-1315.
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2000.1309 Published online September 1, 2000.

The Use of Leucaena leucacephala Leaf Meal as a Protein Supplement for Pigs

G. Zakayo, G. L. Krebs, B. P. Mullan

Abstract

Sixteen Large White횞Landrace pigs 12 weeks of age, with an average body weight of 22.9 2.12 kg were fed four experimental diets; a commercial grain-based grower diet (control); or a diet containing 20% of either sun-dried leucaena leaf meal (LLM), water soaked LLM or FeSO4-treated LLM, replacing the basal diet. There was a significant (p<0.05) decrease in live weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) in pigs fed the diet containing sun-dried LLM. Growth rate, feed intake and FCE were not affected by the addition of water-soaked and FeSO4-treated LLM to the basal diet. Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels in the blood plasma were not affected by the dietary treatments. Addition of FeSO4-treated LLM to the basal diet significantly (p<0.05) reduced the back fat thickness of the pigs.

Keywords: Leucaena; Pigs; FeSO4; Protein Supplement