This document summarizes a study that evaluated the growth performance of pigs fed diets containing Vigna unguiculata herbage meal as a protein supplement. Fourteen female pigs were fed one of three diets: a control diet or diets with 15% or 30% of the crude protein from the control diet substituted with V. unguiculata meal. There were no significant differences in growth performance measures like average daily gain or feed conversion between the treatment groups. While feed conversion decreased slightly with increasing levels of cowpea meal, replacement of up to 30% of dietary protein with V. unguiculata did not negatively impact pig growth. The study concludes that V. unguicul

1. Growth of pigs fed with Vigna unguiculata herbage meal as
protein supplement
P.Sarria1, L.F. Rivera1, R. Araujo1, S. Martens2and M. Peters2
1Universidad Nacional de Colombia, A.A. 237 Palmira, Colombia (pisarriab@palmira.unal.edu.co)
2 Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), A.A. 6713, Cali, Colombia
1. THE MESSAGE 4. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Vigna unguiculata herbage has the potential to contribute to • There were no significant differences between treatments for the
the protein supplementation in the diet of fattening pigs, analyzed variables (see Table 2).
thus replacing parts of commercial feed concentrates. • Although the feed conversion did not differ significantly, there was a
lineal negative response with increasing cowpea level in the diet (R² =
0.6, P<0.001). That means that the nutrients of the control diet were
better utilized by the animal for weight gain which shows a slight
disadvantage of cowpea meal.
Table2. Behaviour of fattening female pigs fed with cowpea herbage meal as protein source
Control Cowpea Cowpea se1 CV%2 P³
15% CP 30% CP
No. of animals 5 5 4
Fig. 1: Commercial female fattening pig fed with Fig. 2: V. unguiculata, 8 weeks old at Santander de Initial liveweight, kg 28.4 27.1 29.6 1.9 6.8 0.192
herbage meal V. unguiculata Quiliichao
Final liveweight, kg 60.0 55.2 58.7 4.6 7.7 0.906
No. of days 49 49 49
2. INTRODUCTION Daily liveweight gain, g 640 ±100 570±30 590±50 68.3 11.3 0.277
Daily consumption, g 1582 ±82 1484 ±91 1590 ±35 76.1 4.9 0.098
Feed conversion 2.49 ± 0.3 2.59 ± 0.1 2.69 ± 0.2 0.21 8.3 0.431
• Vigna unguiculata (Fig. 2) is a fast growing annual tropical dual Consumption kg/kg LW
0.75
84.8 ± 1.84 84.1 ± 2.15 85.1 ± 1.0 1.8 2.1 0.658
purpose legume. 1Standard error. 2 Coefficient of variation ³ Probability value: Values with different letters in the
same row differ significantly (P<0.05).
• It grows on a wide range of environments (0-1500 m.a.s.l), and soils
(including acid soils of low fertility), and is drought tolerant.
fertility) tolerant
• Its herbage is high in protein (16-27% CP).
• In Colombia it was evaluated as alternative source of plant protein 60
supplement for fattening pigs (Fig. 1).
3.
3 MATERIALS & METHODS 50
kg Liveweight
• The aerial part of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata 9611) was harvested at 40
the experimental station of CIAT in Santander de Quilichao between 7
and 8 weeks of growth before florescence. 30
•F t
Fourteen ffemale pigs (Pi t i L
l i (Pietrain-Large White x Landrace-Large White)
Whit L d L Whit )
Control
Cowpea 15%
were utilized to evaluate the productive behavior in the phase of 25- Cowpea 30%
60 kg live weight . 20
9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
/200 /21/200 /28/200 0/5/200 /12/200 /19/200 /26/200 1/2/200
9/14
• There were three treatments, control (commonly utilized commercial
9 9 1 10 10 10 1
ingredients), 15% and 30 % cowpea, whereby 15 and 30% of the Fig. 3: Liveweight development in pigs during 8 weeks consumption of the test diets.
crude protein of the control diet was substituted by V unguiculata
V. (Error bars show standard deviation)
herbage meal maintaining the same theoretic crude protein and
energetic level and similar fibre contents (Table 1).
• The diet was distributed in 2 rations per day. Adaptation period was 7
days and the measuring period 49 days. 5. CONCLUSION
• Daily live weight gain daily feed consumption and feed conversion
gain,
were determined. • An inclusion of 33 % cowpea herbage meal in the total diet, making
Table 1: Feed composition of the three test diets up around 30 % of the total dietary protein, can give good growth
results in the phase of 20-60 kg liveweight. For the finishing phase
Component Control 15% CP 30% CP
Cowpea herbage meal 0.00 17.00 32.90 from 60-120 kg liveweight corresponding behaviour is expected as it is
Yellow maize 46.80
46 80 45.50
45 50 44.00
44 00 a lesser demanding phase.
phase
Extruded soybean meal 14.00 12.50 12.00
Wheat bran 30.00 14.90 0.00
Fish meal 5.00 5.00 5.00
Soy oil 2.10 3.00 4.00
L-lysine HCL 78% 0.25 0.25 0.25 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
DL-Methionine 99% 0.35 0.35 0.35 This study is part of the project “More chicken and pork in the pot and
CaCO3 0.74 0.74 0.74
Biofos (Monocalcium Phosphate) 0.35 0.35 0.35
money in pocket” financed by BMZ.
Iodated salt 0.28 0.28 0.28
Vitamin-mineral premix 0.10 0.10 0.10