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

Sixteen Large $White{\times}Landrace$ pigs 12 weeks of age, with an average body weight of $22.9{\pm}2.12kg$ 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 $FeSO_4-treated$ 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 $(T_3)$ and thyroxine $(T_4)$ levels in the blood plasma were not affected by the dietary treatments. Addition of $FeSO_4-treated$ LLM to the basal diet significantly (p<0.05) reduced the back fat thickness of the pigs.