Vol. 8, Issue 4 (2019)

Author(s):
K Keyho, Sabin George, KS Anil, Manju Sasidharan, MT Dipu, C Sunanda and Muhammad Aslam MK

Abstract:
An experiment was carried out at Centre for Pig Production and Research, Mannuthy, Kerala for a period of three months. Weaning of piglets in three treatments T1, T2 and T3 were done at 42, 35 and 21 days respectively. Piglets in T1 were fed with 20 per cent crude protein and 0 per cent lactose, T2 fed with 20 per cent crude protein and 10 per cent lactose and T3 with 22 per cent crude protein and 15 per cent lactose. There was a significant difference in average weaning weight of piglets between the groups (T1-57.90 ± 5.49^a, T - 50.47 ± 2.49^a and T3 -32.45 ± 2.49^b). There was significant difference in average feed intake between the treatments at seven week of age (T1-15.47 ± 0.99^b, T2-18.17 ± 0.81^b and T3-22.32 ± 1.00^a). Feeding of lactose at 0, 10 and 15 per cent to piglets have no significant difference on the average feed intake and growth performance of the piglets at the end of the experiment. The outcome of this study demonstrated that weaning of piglets at 35 days and 21 days of age can be done and suggested a higher inclusion level of lactose to the diet of early weaned piglets.