Effects of Using Corn Dried Distillers’ Grains with Solubles (cDDGS) as a Partial Replacement for Soybean Meal on the Outcomes of Pig Fattening, Pork Slaughter Value and Quality

The present study set out to determine the effects of incorporating cDDGS into starter, grower, and finisher diets (containing 5%, 10%, and 15% of cDDGS, respectively) on growth performance, carcass and meat quality, and cost effectiveness of pig fattening. Sixty-four pigs (mean body weight of 15.0 ± 2.1 kg) were divided into two groups (<i>n</i> = 32) and fed a control diet (cereal–soybean meal-based) or cDGGS-containing diets (with soybean meal partially replaced with cDDGS). Live weights of pigs as well as weight gains/daily weight gains across all fattening phases did not differ between the two groups of fattener pigs studied (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Addition of cDDGS decreased feed intake per pig during the grower (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and finisher (<i>p</i> < 0.01) phases, and, as a result, throughout the entire fattening period (254 vs. 245 kg for control and cDDGS groups, respectively; <i>p</i> < 0.01). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) for the entire fattening period was significantly less for cDDGS-fed fatteners (2.77) than for controls (2.91; <i>p</i> < 0.05). Carcass weights, fat thickness, and meatiness did not vary between the two groups of animals (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Loin depth was greater in the cDDGS group by ~5 mm (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Slaughter value was higher for the cDDGS group (76.1% vs. 77.0%, <i>p</i> < 0.05). The total cost of fattening and total cost of 1 kg of body weight decreased in cDDGS compared with the control subset of fatteners by ~7% and 8% during the grower and finisher phases, respectively (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The simplified direct surplus per pig was approximately 63% higher for the cDDGS group. Our results indicate that even moderate inclusion of cDDGS to concentrate mixtures (or a partial replacement of soybean meal with cDDGS) may improve FCR without any substantial changes in meat and back fat characteristics as well as significantly decrease the cost of feeding and increase the profitability of pig production.