Effects of Phase Feeding on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility and Nutrient Excretion of Growing Barrows and Gilts

A total of 120 growing crossbred pigs ($Landrace{\times}Large$ $White{\times}Duroc$) with equal numbers of barrows and gilts were used in the feeding trial in a $2{\times}3$ factorial arrangement (gender by feeding regimens) to investigate the effect of phase feeding on growth performance during the 25 to 58 kg body weight growth stage, and 6 pigs (three of each sex) were used in a metabolic trial. The growing period was divided into two phases and 4 different CP diets were used to make 3 different feeding regimens (GE18-GL18; 18% CP diets for both early and later growing period, GE18-GL16; 18% CP diet for early and 16% CP diet for later growing period, GE19-GL17; 19% CP diet for early and 17% CP diet for later growing period). There were no significant differences in growth performance among treatments during the entire growing period. However, during the later growing period, feed intake of barrows was significantly higher than that of gilts (p<0.05). Average daily gain of barrows was higher than that of gilts (p>0.05). Based on the result, growth performance differences between barrows and gilts appeared to begin after 40 kg of body weight. There was no significant difference in digestibility among treatments or between sexes. During the early growing period the 18% CP diet showed better digestibility than the 19% CP diet. However, during the later growing period, the 18% and 17% CP diets exhibited similar digestibilities, although 16% CP diet showed slightly lower digestibility than 18% and 17% CP diets. During the early growing period, fecal N and P excretion of pigs fed the 19% CP were higher than that of those fed the 18% CP diet. During later growing period, fecal N and P excretion by those receiving the two phase feeding compared to single phase feeding was reduced by 10.2% and 2.0%, respectively. In the gilts, the cost reduction by two phase feeding (GE18-GL16) compared to single feeding was around 3.81%, but that of barrows was only 0.52%. The results suggested that the same nutrient levels could be applied to barrows and gilts during the growing period. Also, this study suggested the optimum protein and lysine level for early and later growing pigs to be 18% CP, 1.0% lysine and 16% CP, 0.8% lysine, respectively. Feeding two diets to growing pigs, i.e., two-phase feeding, would be more appropriate than feeding a single diet on economic and environmental considerations.