Growth Performance and Carcass Attributes of Pubertal Boars Fed Dietary Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) Kernel

Abstract

The increasing cost of maize as a source of dietary energy for swine necessitates investigation into unconventional alternative energy sources. Neem kernel (NK) has a higher dietary energy hence, the growth and reproductive potential of growing male pigs fed with diets in which maize was partially replaced with NK was investigated. Forty crossbred (Large White x Landrace) male weanling pigs were allotted into experimental treatment in a completely randomised design to evaluate the influence of NK inclusion in swine diets at 0, 50, 100 and 150 g/kg on feed intake (FI), weight gain (WG), feed conversion efficiency (FCE) and dressing percentage. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA.  Pigs on 100 and 150 g/kg WNK diets showed significantly (P<0.05) lower FI (80.01kg, 74.89kg) compared to control with 88.53 kg  Pigs on 50 g/kg gave similar FI (89.53kg) to those on control. Mean values of WG and FCE observed were not significant across treatment. Pigs on 50 g/kg NK diet had a superior (P<0.05) dressing percentage of 59.21 compared to those on control with 57.83 This investigation indicated that neem kernel can be included up to 150 g/kg in swine diets without deleterious effects on boars’ growth performance and dressing percentage.