Effect of Partial Size

An experiment was conducted to study the relationship between the previously reported feed preference values of feeds and their particle size and texture characteristics. The effect of individual feed ingredients to be studied was added to a common basal diet containing rice, soybean meal, sunflower oil, and wheat bran. A total of 126 diets were studied, 63 were prepared by replacing rice in the basal diet with another cereal, 29 by replacing the soybean product with different protein sources, 19 by replacing sunflower oil with different lipid sources, and 6 by replacing wheat bran with different fiber sources. The diets were characterized for particle size and texture properties. Results indicated that the texture properties of the feed were more related to feed preferences compared to the effect of particle size characteristics.

Sola-Oriol, D. and co-workers. 2008. Feed preference in pigs: Relationship with feed particle size and texture; J. Animal Sci: