A total of 144 crossbred piglets were utilized, being 72 castrated males and 72 females, with average initial weight of 6.91kg ± 1.32 kg, at 28 days old, to determine the effect of the addition or not of two sources of lipids (soybean oil and coconut oil) at different levels (2, 4, 6 and 8%) over pigs performance (daily average weight gain, daily average feed intake and feed conversion). It was utilized a randomized block design using a factorial arrangement 2 x 4 (sources and oils levels) and an additional treatment (control ration without lipids addition). The experimental rations were isocaloric, isoprotein and isolysine, formulated based on corn, soybean meal, skimmed milk powder fish meal supplemented with minerals, vitamins and lysine. There was no significant interaction between sources and oils levels tested (P>0.05) for none of the performance parameters studied. Significant difference was not observed (P>0.05) in the daily average weight gain of pigs receiving or not soybean oil or coconut oil, in different levels. Comparing the means of treatments (2, 4, 6, 8% soybean oil and coconut oil) with the control ration (without lipid addition), it was observed larger (P<0.01) daily average feed intake and worse (P<0.01) feed conservation when lipid was not added to the diet. The addition of lipids in the piglets diets is beneficial due to smaller ration intake for a same weigh gain and better feed conversion.
Weanling pigs; soybean oil; coconut oil; performance
