USE OF THE MOBILE NYLON BAG TECHNIQUE FOR MEASURING IN SITU DIGESTIBILITY OF SOME SUPPLIES FOOD AND AVOCADO IN PIGS

Abstract

The mobile nylon bag technique was used for measuring in situ digestibility of conventional feeds and avocado (Persea americana Mills) products in three 70 kg pigs fitted with a simple cannula in duodenum. One 3x3 Latin square was used for determining in situ digestibility of soybean, maize and sorghum meal and another 3x3 Latin square for measuring in situ digestibility of seed, peel plus seed meal and the entire Nayaritean avocado fruit of Hass type, as well as of the commercial diet given ad libitum to animals. In a preliminary test conducted with only bags containing a commercial feedstuff, it was found that in situ digestibility of DM was on average 73.01%. In conventional feeds, soybean meal samples showed higher (P<0.05) in situ digestibility values for DM, NDF and N, than those of maize and sorghum. Among avocado products, the seeds showed a higher nutritive value than peels plus seeds, whereas the entire fruit had higher (P<0.05) in situ digestibility for DM and NDF than the other two avocado products. There were not significant differences (P>0.05) for N digestibility among avocado products, which was generally low (between 28.02 and 34.58%). In situ organic matter digestibility was linked to that of MS (r = 0.915; P<0.001), both in percent, in 42 examined samples, by the following found equation: y = 2.076 + 0.926 x. The herein described studies concerning the utilization of the mobile bag showed that it is possible to obtain a fast response in connection to the nutritive value of non conventional, tropical alimentary resources for pigs. On the other hand, the continuation of studies relative to the nutritive value of avocado products for pigs is highly recommended.