Digestibility and Nitrogen Balance of Diets that Include Marine Fish Meal, Catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus) By-product Meal and Silage, and Processing Waste Water in Growing Pigs

Ileal and total tract digestibility and nitrogen (N) balance of diets with four different protein sources were determined in growing pigs. The diets were based on rice bran, broken rice and maize meal and contained Tra catfish by-product (CBP), processed using three different methods, and marine fish meal (FM). The CBP diets consisted of the by-product in meal form, ensiled with molasses, and CBP waste water (WWBD). The four diets were fed to four growing pigs fitted with post-valve T-cecum (PVTC) cannulas in a $4{\times}4$ Latin Square design. All experimental diets included $Cr_2O_3$ at 5 g/kg feed as an indigestible marker. The ileal apparent digestibility of organic matter and ether extract was higher on diet WWBD than on the other three diets (p<0.05), and the total tract apparent digestibility was higher on diet WWBD than on the FM diet (p<0.05). The ileal and total tract apparent digestibility of crude protein and amino acids was not significantly different among diets (p>0.05). No significant effects of diet were found on N-retention and N utilization. In conclusion, the catfish by-product meal, ensiled catfish by-product and processing waste water diets and the fish meal diet had similar ileal and total tract apparent digestibility, and similar N utilization in growing pigs.