Nutritional Status of Growing-Finishing Pigs under Rural Feeding Management in Mizoram

Nutritional status of growing-finishing pigs was assessed under rural feeding management in Mizoram. Information on rural feeding management and feed-stuffs fed to pigs were collected, and the later were analysed for proximate composition, minerals and energy content. The common feeding practice of pigs was offering the home-made cooked feed which was a mixture of unconventional feeds with household kitchen and/or vegetable leftovers and cereal by-products. The average DM, CP, EE, CF, TA, NFE and DE content (on DM basis) of cooked feed were 20.86±0.90%, 18.65±0.84%, 2.94±0.36%, 16.31±0.72%, 6.03±0.54%, 56.21±1.59%, 2888±86.89 Kcal/kg, respectively. DM intake (1042.74±45.04 g/day) was recorded less than the requirement; whereas CP% in home-made cooked feed was found sufficient for growing-finishing pigs. DE (Kcal/kg) of cooked feed was found less than the recommended level. Digestibility of nutrients was variable and ranged from 32.35±3.03 to 40.79±7.89%, 81.07±6.20 to 85.53±5.83%, 25.83±5.76 to 37.76±8.88% and 29.69±8.99 to 43.72±5.84% for DM, CP, CF, and NFE, respectively. Based on DM intake through cooked feed, level of calcium, copper, iron and manganese were optimal, but intake of phosphorous was found inadequate. It may be recommended for appropriate incorporation of available unconventional feeds with conventional ones based on nutritive values for formulation of cooked feed with required protein and energy levels and ensuring adequate dry matter intake in growing-finishing pigs of Mizoram.