• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1721-1725
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• 2012

A growth and digestibility study was conducted using Osmanabadi goat male kids by feeding complete diets in the form of mash or expander extruded pellets containing different levels of red gram (Cajanus cajan) straw (RGS). Two iso-nitrogenous complete diets were prepared by incorporating RGS at 35% and 50% levels. Half the quantity of each complete mash feed was then converted into pellets through expander extruder processing. Thirty two kids of 4 to 5 months age were divided into four groups of eight each and were fed for 150 d with four experimental diets (T1: mash with 35% RGS, T2: mash with 50% RGS, T3: pellets with 35% RGS and T4: pellets with 50% RGS). Pelleting of complete diets significantly (p<0.001) increased the voluntary feed intake (671.45 vs 426.28 g/d) at both levels of RGS in the feeds. Average daily gain (ADG, g/d) also increased significantly (p<0.001) from 48.79 in kids fed mash diet to 71.29 in those fed with pelleted diets. Feed conversion efficiency (dry matter (DM) intake: weight gain) was comparable among all the treatment groups. Digestibility of nutrients was not affected by pelleting of the feeds whereas, increasing the level of inclusion of RGS in feeds from 35% to 50% decreased (p<0.05) the digestibility of DM and crude protein (CP) resulting in lower (p<0.001) metabolizable energy (ME) content (MJ/kg DM) in feeds with 50% RGS (7.93 vs 8.75). Daily intake (MJ/kg $BW^{-0.75}$) of ME decreased (p<0.05) in feeds containing 50% RGS while pelleting of feeds increased (p<0.05) the intake of DM, CP, digestible crude protein (DCP) and ME. It is inferred that expander extruder pelleting can efficiently utilize RGS up to 50% level in complete diets for growing goat kids.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.597-607
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• 1998

Processing is generally employed to alter the physical and chemical properties of feeds used in pig diets, using hammer/roller mills, pellet mills and extruders/expanders. The reported optimum particle sizes of corn are approximately $500{\mu}m$, $500-700{\mu}m$, $400-600{\mu}m$, for nursery, growing-finishing, and breeder pigs respectively. Optimum particle size of grains are affected by diet complexity. There was a trend towards reducing particle size in order to increase ADG in pigs fed a simple diet, though such was not the case for pigs fed a complex diet. Uniformity of particle size also affects the nutritional values of swine feeds. Uniform particle sizes would consistently give greater nutrient digestibilities. In terms of pellet quality, it is reported that a higher incidence of fmes in pelleted feeds has a direct correlation with poorer feed conversion ratio in pigs. Particle and pellet sizes are also very important for pelleting in terms of grinding, digestibility, stomach ulceration and pellet durability. A particle size of $600{\mu}m$, or slightly less, seemed optimal for com in fmishing pigs, and the 5/32 in. diameter pellets supported the best efficiencies of gain during nursery and finishing phases. Extruder and/or expander processes would allow the feed industry an increased flexibility to utilize a wider spectrum of feed ingredients, and improve pellet quality of finished feeds. It would appear that extruded or expanded diets containing highly digestible ingredients have little effect on the growth performance of pigs, and the feeding values of the feeds over pelleted diets were not improved as pigs grew. The extruder or expander is much more effective than a pelletizer in salmonella control. Gastric ulcerations and/or keratinizations were consistently reported in pigs fed mash and processed diets containing finely ground grains, whereas carcass quality was not affected by diet processing methods such as pelleting, extruding or expanding. In corn- or sorghum-based diets, the electrical energy consumption is 4-5 times higher in the expanding than in the pelleting process. But the expander's processing cost was half of that shown by an extruder. Finally, the decision of which feed processing technology to adopt would depend on the processing cost, and any potential improvement in growth performance and digestibilities of nutrients should offset the increased operating and capital costs related to the extruder/expander technology over mash or pelleting processes in pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1765-1772
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• 2002

Three experiments were conducted to determine the feed processing method best suited for early and conventionallyweaned pigs, and to investigate the effects of different extrusion temperatures on ileal digestibility of amino acids in diets containing different protein sources. In exp.1, a total of 108 pigs (Landrace${\times}$Yorkshire${\times}$Duroc; 24 d of age and 7.60 kg average body weight) were alloted on the basis of sex, weight and ancestry to three treatments in a randomized complete block design. Feed processing methods used were mash (M), simple pellet (SP), and expanded pellet (EP). In exp. 2, a total of 96 pigs (Landrace${\times}$Yorkshire${\times}$Duroc; 14 d of age) were allotted on the basis of sex, weight, and ancestry to three treatments in a randomized complete block design. Diets were mash (M), expanded pellet (EP), and expanded pellet crumble (EPC). In exp. 3, a study was designed to investigate the effect of different extrusion temperatures (100, 120, and $140^{\circ}C$) over the control (untreated) on the ileal digestibility of amino acids in diets containing protein sources such as spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and fish meal (FM). Results in exp.1 showed that ADG, ADFI and the F/G ratio of pigs fed the SP diet were improved (p<0.05) compared with those fed the M or the EP diets, but the digestibility of nutrients was not different (p>0.05) among the treatments. In exp. 2, pigs fed expanded pellet treatments (EP or EPC) had a significantly improved (p<0.05) F/G ratio compared to the pigs fed the M diet which was primarily attributed to the significant reduction (p<0.05) in ADFI, but the overall growth rate of pigs fed expanded pellet diets was not improved. In exp. 3, there was a significant interaction effect (p<0.05) between the extrusion temperature and protein source on the ileal digestibility of amino acids. With an extrusion temperature of $100^{\circ}C$, the ileal digestibility of Lys, Val, Gly and Ser was significantly lower in the diet containing WPC compared to the diet containing SDPP. Increasing the temperature to $120^{\circ}C$ led to significant differences (p<0.05) in the digestibility of Thr and Tyr between diets containing WPC and SDPP. Regardless of extrusion temperatures, the weaned pigs' diet containing either SDPP or FM had significantly higher Lys, Phe, Thr, Val, and Gly digestibility relative to the WPC diet. Results of the present study suggest that simple pelleting of diets containing protein sources such as whey protein concentrate, spray-dried plasma protein and fish meal would be better than the extruded or expanded pellet diets. Extruder or expander processing of weaned pigs' feed could reduce palatability and ileal digestibility of several amino acids and therefore may be responsible for a negative growth response in weaned pigs.