Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences, 6, 1997, 353-368

Effect of micronization on energy, starch and amino acid digestibilities in wheat for young pigs 1

S.X. Huang, W.C. Sauer , L . Hargreaves, M. Pickard and S. L i 2

Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5 (Received 20 May 1997; accepted 19 August 1997)

ABSTRACT Studies were carried out to determine the effect of micronization (infrared processing) on the energy, starch and amino acid digestibilities in wheat. Six pigs (Canabrid x Camborough) were weaned at 21 day of age and fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum on day 23 or 24. The pigs were fed one of three diets consisting of ground wheat and soyabean meal, micronized wheat and soyabean meal, and maize starch and soyabean meal according to repeated Latin square design. The pigs were fed three times daily, equal amounts at 8-h intervals. The diets were supplied at a rate of 5% (wt/wt) of body weight. The average body weight of the pigs was 9.2 kg at the start and 16.5 kg at the conclusion of the experiment. Faeces were collected for 48 h on day 6 and 7 and ileal digesta for 24 h on day 8 and 9. Chromic oxide was used as digestibility marker. The apparent ileal amino acid digestibilities in ground and micronized wheat were determined with the difference method. The apparent digestibilities of the indispensable amino acids were higher in micronized than ground wheat and ranged from 2.2 (arginine) to 12.2 (threonine) percentage units. The differences were significant (P