Two trials were carried out to evaluate the feeding of high moisture sorghum silage (HMSS) of high or low tannin contents for piglets. In the digestibility trial, twelve crossbred, castrated males, averaging initial body weight of 15.9±1.9 kg were allotted to metabolism cages, as a completely randomized design, with four experimental units and one piglet per cage. The total feces and urine collection method was used. The values of digestible DM, digestible protein, digestible starch, digestible OM, digestible energy and ME of HMSS of high tannin were, respectively, of 43.94, 5.45, 46.67, 63.46%, 2,700, and 2,674 kcal/kg and of HMSS of low tannin were of 40.72, 5.92, 44.08, 63.75%, 2,641, and 2,608 kcal/kg respectively, as-fed basis (68.75% DM). The second trial was carried out to evaluate piglet performance and economic viability of diets with different dry yellow corn replacement levels with HMSS of high or low tannin contents. Fifty-six crossbred piglets (14.7±1.9 and 29.2±3.0 kg initial and final body weight) were allotted to four treatments as a completely randomized design, with four experimental units of two piglets. The treatments consisted of a basal corn-soybean meal based diet and six diets of dry corn replacement with 33, 66, and 100% of HMSS of high or low tannin contents based on the digestible energy contents of these feedstuffs. No treatment effect on piglet performance was observed, however, there was linear increasing effect on daily feed intake for HMSS of low tannin and linear decreasing effect for diet cost per kilogram of weight gain for HMSS of high tannin.
digestibility; energy values; performance; swine
