THE EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTING WATER-SOAKED LEUCAENA LEAF MEAL TO GROWING PIG DIET

Abstract

Mimosine content of dry leucaena leaves were reduced at 89 and 90% by soaking the leaves in running water for 24 and 48 hours respectively. Twenty-four hour’s water-soaked leucaena leaf meals were then prepared and added to growing pig diets (16 % CP) at 0, 10, 20, and 30% respectively. The diets were randomly fed ad libibitum to 24 castrated male pigs (6 pigs/diet) during ca 30-60 kg body weight. Average daily gain of growing pigs given 0, 10, 20 and 30 % of treated leucaena meals were 0.745, 0.768, 0.718 and 0.625 kg. Average daily feed intakes were 2.021, 2.303, 2.234 and 2.198 kg and the feed conversion ratios were 2.74, 3.03, 3.12 and 3.53 respectively. Pigs consuming control diet and diets supplemented with 10 and 20 % of leucaena meals showed similar growthes and significantly (P < 0.05) higher live weight gains than those consuming diet supplemented with 30 % leucaena meal. Feed intake of pigs fed on the control diet were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than all other groups. Adding 10, 20 and 30 % of leucaena meals in control diet resulted in lower feed conversion efficiency approximately 11, 14 and 29 % respectively, although the difference between the group of pigs consuming 10 and 20 % leucaena diets did not reach significance (P < 0.05).