New Research and Development Strategy for a Better Integration of Pig
Production in the Farming System in Cuba
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Livestock Feed Resources within Integrated Farming Systems
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New Research and Development Strategy for a Better Integration
of Pig Production in the Farming System in Cuba
P. L. Dominguez, Swine Research Institute, PO Box 1, Punta
Brava, Havana 19200, Cuba
Introduction
Cuba does not have the climatic conditions or technical
development which allow production of valuable cereal crops
and protein sources nor the necessary foreign currency to
import conventional feedstuffs to support intensive pig
production.
In Cuba, emphasis is placed on a research and development
strategy for pig production based on unconventional feeding,
such as: the recycling of wastes and by-products from
restaurants and canteens and from agricultural and industrial
activities; and the development of an animal feeding strategy
based on perennial tropical crops with a high efficiency of
energy yield per unit area, such as sugarcane, bananas and
plantains and sweet potato. These systems have been applied
to large and medium-sized pig farms. The recycling of excreta,
with the production of energy (biogas), fertilizer (humus) and
feed (aquatic plants and earthworm biomass), is another
component of a sustainable farming system. In addition, the
use of wastes and by-products and the recycling of excreta
also offers the possibility of reducing environmental
pollution.
Processed food waste
Wastes or by-products from institutions (hospitals, schools
and hotels), slaughter-houses, fish-processing plants and
agriculture have been used for pig feeding in Cuba for many
years.
The collection of these materials is systematically carried
out by tanker trucks following established routes throughout
the country. The wastes are sent to industrial plants designed
specifically for transforming them into feed for pigs (Del Rio
et al., 1980), without sanitary risks. In these plants, the
wastes are submitted to selection, grinding, sterilization and
mixing with sugarcane molasses, before being conveyed by
pipelines to pig fattening units adjacent to the processing
plant. Recently, Cuban engineers have designed and developed
an autoclave (130 deg C and 2 atmospheres pressure) with
mechanical agitation which adequately processes not only
kitchen and vegetable wastes but also wastes from slaughter-
houses and even dead animals. The advantage of this system
compared to dehydration is the savings in fuel oil and the
lower investment cost of the equipment.
Analysis of this processed waste shows that it offers a
considerable potential as an alternative feed resource for
pigs in the tropics. It contains from 14-19% dry matter, 8-16%
ash, 18-22% crude protein, 6-12% crude fiber, 6-10% ether
extract and a gross energy of 16 to 19 MJ/kg DM (Dominguez,
1985). Processed waste varied in composition and this
variation was dependent mainly on the source of the waste
material. It differed from conventional swine feeds in its low
dry matter content and its relatively high crude protein.
The digestive utilization of the main nutrients of processed
swill is slightly lower when compared to cereals (Table 1).
Nevertheless, the total and precaecal digestive coefficient
of nitrogen and energy, the nitrogen retention and the
digestible energy may be considered acceptable and show that
processed swill is an important alternative feed resource for
pigs.
Table 1. Total and precaecal digestibility in pigs of
processed waste.
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Precaecal Total
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Digestibility,%
Dry matter 68,9 77,1
Nitrogen 65,2 76,0
DE, MJ/kg DM 13,0 14,6
ME, MJ/kg DM - 13,9
Nitrogen retention, g/day 15,3 16,4
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Source: Dominguez et al. (1987)
It has been shown (Gonzalez et al., 1984) that for growing/
finishing pigs, processed waste can be used to substitute up
to 50% of the dry matter of cereals; there was no effect on
feed conversion. However the low dry matter content of
processed wastes tends to affect growth due to a reduction in
total dry matter intake. Water per se is not believed to
reduce efficiency of utilization of the ration components; it
does, however, limit consumption when present in excessive
amounts in the ration. When processed waste is used as the
only source of feed, and the water content is very high (for
instance, 80-84%) pigs are forced to consume large quantities
of water in the feed, thus limiting the total daily
consumption of nutrients. The high water content of processed
waste is the most serious problem for young growing pigs up to
50 kg because of the limited capacity of their gastro-
intestinal tract. As the pig develops in size, the greater
gut capacity tends to minimize the importance of diet
concentration. Nevertheless, the use of a dry meal supplement
would not appear to be necessary in a processed waste feeding
system for pigs when high quality and high dry matter content
are available in the processed waste (Table 2).
Table 2. Use of processed waste in growing finishing pigs.
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Balanced cereals 100 40 20 -
Processed waste - 60 80 100
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,40 2,21 2,09 1,98
Daily gain, kg 0,86 0,82 0,81 0,75
Feed conversion, kg DM/kg 2,85 2,69 2,59 2,65
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Source: Grande et al. (1995)
In spite of the variability in the chemical composition of the
waste products, the experience in Cuba has been of a
relatively stable concentration of dry matter and crude
protein in the feed. It has allowed the study of the mixture
of processed waste products with other feedstuffs, with the
aim of widening the volume of processed waste and increasing
the level of dry matter of the diet for pig fattening. Since a
great volume of sugarcane molasses is available, it is a
common practice in Cuba to mix the processed waste with
sugarcane molasses in the plants, at about 10% of the volume
of fresh feed produced. The mixture with molasses increases
the dry matter of the processed waste by up to 25%, depending
on the proportion in the mixture. However, since the sugarcane
molasses is essentially a source of carbohydrates, it thus
decreases the level of crude protein and energy density of the
feed on a DM basis, and this resulted in poorer feed
conversion (Dominguez, 1985). The immediate solution was to
add a dry cereal concentrate or a protein source to the
mixture. Therefore, the major commercial feeding system used
in the last 20 years in Cuba for pigs from 25 to 90 kg
consisted of 37% organic wastes, 33% sugarcane molasses and
30% concentrates.
Table 3 shows the results that can be obtained with different
mixture of processed wastes which are acceptable in these
diets, taking into consideration that the nutrient balance can
be improved with adequate mineral-vitamin and essential amino-acid
supplementation.
Table 3. Performance of pigs fed different mixtures of
processed waste.
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------- per cent of diet --------
Processed wastes - 27,8 39,4
Final molasses - 34,6 49,3
Torula yeast - 7,9 11,3
Balanced cereals 100 29,7 -
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,47 2,92 2,78
Daily gain, kg 0,72 0,71 0,62
Feed conversion kg, DM/kg 3,38 4,14 4,50
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Source: Dominguez and Cervantes (1978)
An aspect to take into consideration in these kinds of diets
is that the increasing level of final molasses in the ration
results in a linear increase in feed conversion without giving
any improvement in daily weight gain (Dominguez 1985). These
results have led towards studies on the substitution of final
molasses by other intermediate or enriched molasses from the
sugar industry (Dominguez, 1990), with better results than
those obtained with the mixture of final molasses and further
justified by differences in the energy density in the
molasses.
Nevertheless, Dominguez et al. (1988) have reported that, when
these foodstuffs are suitably supplemented with minerals
(including copper sulphate), vitamins and methionine, live
weight gains were increased by more than 100 g daily,
irrespective of the type of molasses used (Table 4) and animal
behaviour problems with diets of processed waste and final or
B molasses decreased notably.
Table 4. Performance of pigs fed processed waste, cereal
concentrate and final or B molasses, with or without
additives.
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Molasses/Additives
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Final B Final B
No No Yes Yes
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,47 2,52 2,71 2,75
Daily gain, kg 0,53 0,62 0,68 0,71
Feed conversion, kg DM/kg 4,78 4,07 4,01 3,89
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Source: Dominguez et al. (1988)
In fact, the regression analysis of daily gain on the
consumption of these types of diets, either supplemented or
not, demonstrates that, independently of the level of
consumption of the supplement, these diets guarantee between
100 and 150 g more daily gain (Dominguez 1990).
The supplementation of these diets is more important than the
kind of molasses used. On the other hand, when molasses are
not used at levels higher than 30% of the ration on a dry
matter basis, characteristics of behaviour are very similar
between processed waste and differents sugarcane molasses
diets (Table 5).
Table 5. Performance of pigs fed processed waste and different
types of molasses.
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Corn Processed waste + torula yeast
Torula yeast Molasses Molasses Enriched
C B molasses
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,56 2,74 2,61 2,57
Daily gain, kg 0,78 0,74 0,77 0,77
Feed conversion,
kg DM/kg gain 3,29 3,67 3,37 3,31
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Source: Perez et al.(1991)
Slaughterhouse waste and dead animals
The industrialization of animal slaughtering and fish
processing for human consumption produces large amounts of
wastes that can be used for animal feeding. With regard to the
situation in Cuba, processing lines have been designed for
these wastes which provide a final product or paste with a
high protein content (protein paste).
Systems for the preservation of products for various lengths
of time, based on the use of inorganic acids or sugarcane
molasses, have been designed. In this connection, the
nutritive value of protein paste preserved with inorganic
acids has been evaluated by including it as the sole protein
source in molasses diets and compared to protein sources of
well-known biological value such as soya bean meal, torula
yeast and meat meal (Dominguez 1991). Protein digestibility
data have revealed it to be similar to that of soya bean meal
and superior to that of meat meal and torula yeast, while N
retention was higher than in other protein sources studied.
The results with fattening pigs fed protein paste preserved
with sugarcane molasses were satisfactory when protein paste
contributed some 26.5% of dietary protein. However, when the
level of protein paste was increased to more than 50% of the
protein in the diet, a decrease in average daily gain of pigs
was observed (Table 6). Initially, all this implies the
possibility of transforming these organic wastes (which are
serious pollutants) into protein sources with a high
biological value for pigs.
Table 6. Performance of pigs fed protein paste in cooked sweet
potatoes diet.
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% crude protein from:
Torula yeast 62,9 40,9 19,1
Protein paste - 26,5 52,8
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,36 2,30 2,33
Daily gain, kg 0,78 0,78 0,70
Feed conversion, kgDM/kg 3,03 2,95 3,33
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Source: Dominguez (1991)
Fish silage:
In a Cuban method for the preparation of fish silage, Alvarez
(l972) used a solution of sulphuric acid and water (1:1 by
volume) at a rate of 60 ml of acid solution per kg of fresh
fish waste. The mixture of fish waste and acid solution was
stored in closed plastic tanks and stirred for three minutes,
three times a day, for a period of five days. The pH lowered
to 1.8, and bacterial putrefaction was avoided, thus allowing
the silage to be stored for several months. Cervantes (1979)
showed that, if ground fish waste was to be used, it could be
preserved by using only 30 ml of acid solution per kg.
Table 7 shows the results of using acid fish waste silage
preserved with 30 ml/kg of sulphuric acid solution. The fish
silage substituted for fish meal in a diet based on processed
swill and final molasses for growing-finishing pigs
(Cervantes, 1979). Performance was lower when all the fish
meal was replaced by silage and it was concluded that the acid
fish silage could be used up to 50 percent of the protein
supplied in this type of diet.
Table 7. Substitution of fish meal for acid fish silage in
diets based on processed waste.
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Substitution of fish meal, %
0 25 50 100
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,1 2,1 2,1 1,9
Daily gain, kg 0,54 0,55 0,54 0,44
Feed conversion, kg DM/kg 4,10 4,00 4,00 4,40
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Source: Cervantes (1979)
In the case of biological fish silage, some results of pig
feeding are presented in Table 8. The silage was prepared
using a mixture of 10 per cent of molasses and 10 per cent of
wheat bran, with 80 per cent of ground inland fish (mixture of
common carp, silver carp, bighead carp and Tilapia sp.) placed
in a polyethylene bag with a water seal in order to obtain
anaerobic conditions. After three months, the pH was 3.9 with
no pathogenic microorganisms in the fish silage. Animal
performance was better when fish silage replaced 40 per cent
of the soya bean meal in a molasses diet.
Table 8. Use of biological silage as protein replace of soya
bean meal in molasses diet.
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Level of soya bean meal substitution, %
0 20 40
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,07 2,31 2,17
Daily gain, kg 0,63 0,67 0,74
Feed conversion, kgDM/kg 3,34 3,46 2,94
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Source: Delgado and Dominguez (1996)
Sweet potatoes
The starchy roots and tubers harvested in many tropical areas
are an important energy source in human and animal feeding.
Traditionally, sweet potatoes have been cultivated in tropical
countries of Latin America and the Caribbean almost
exclusively for tuber production to be used as a staple food,
while its foliage has always been considered as a residue. The
productive potential of certain varieties of sweet potatoes
can reach from 24 to 36 t/ha/crop of roots (Morales, 1980) and
the foliage production can vary from 4.3 to 6.0 t dry
matter/ha (Ruiz et al., 1980).
The chemical composition of sweet potato roots shows a low
protein, fat and fibre content, but high nitrogen free
extractives, thus indicating their potential value, mainly as
an energy source. Vines are higher in fibre and protein and
their principal value is as a source of vitamins and protein.
On the other hand, the cooking of sweet potatoes is necessary
for two reasons, improvement of starch digestibility and
neutralization of trypsin inhibitors.
Taking into account that, in Cuba, intensive and specialized
pig production uses liquid feeds for fattening pigs, most of
the Cuban experience is with cooked sweet potato tubers
offered mashed to pigs (18-20% DM).
Table 9. Utilization of differents sources of protein for pigs
fed cooked sweet potato.
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Corn Sweet potatoes Sweet potatoes
soya bean meal soya bean meal torula yeast
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,30 2,71 2,36
Daily gain, kg 0,77 0,77 0,78
Feed conversion,
kg DM/kg gain 3,01 3,51 3,03
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Source: Dominguez (1992)
Table 9 shows the performance of pigs fed on cooked sweet
potato diets compared with a maize/soya bean diet (Dominguez,
1992). These results provide evidence that cooked and mashed
sweet potato can totally replace maize for fattening pigs if
adequate protein supplementation is given.
The results of partially substituting 25 and 50% of soya bean
meal by fresh foliage as the protein source in a sweet potato-
soya bean diet show that the high level of foliage worsened
some performance traits (Table 10).
Table 10. Sweet potato foliage as a source of protein for pigs
fed the tuber.
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Level of soya bean meal substitution, %
0 25 50
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,71 2,46 2,46
Daily gain, kg 0,77 0,69 0,64
Feed conversion, kg DM/kg 3,51 3,55 3,81
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Source: Dominguez (1992)
Citrus silage:
The cannery residue produced by the citrus fruit juice
industry is traditionally the raw material for the production
of dried citrus pulp. This residue consists of the peel, pulp
and seeds of oranges after juice extraction. The pulp thus
produced contains a fairly large quantity of highly digestible
fibre and nitrogen free extractives.
The silage of citrus pulp has advantages over traditional
drying methods because less energy is used and there are
improvements in the palatability of the product (Dominguez,
1991). On the other hand, citrus pulp silage can replace final
molasses with better feed conversion and the same liveweight
gain (Table 11).
Table 11.Performance of pigs fed citrus silage as a
replacement for final molasses in processed waste diets.
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Citrus silage,% 0.0 12.0 25.0 40.0
Final molasses,% 49.3 37.3 24.3 9.3
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,8 2,9 2,6 2,5
Daily gain, kg 0,68 0,62 0,59 0,60
Feed conversion,
kg DM/kg 4,54 4,64 4,37 4,08
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Source: Dominguez and Cervantes (1980)
Recycling of piggery wastes
The modern method of raising animals in confinement has
resulted in daily production of large quantities of manure
which, when aggravated by a high ambient temperature, serves
as the breeding place for flies that spread disease.
The biogas process is an improved anaerobic treatment for
animal manure and it is possible to obtain from 80 to 89 per
cent recovery of the total solids in the waste (Chao et al.,
1996). The solid waste resulting from the biogas process can
be turned into useful compost by earthworms. This resulting
compost possess a good structure and reasonable quantities of
plant nutrients (Garcia et al., 1996).
The liquid effluent from the biodigester can be used to
fertilize duckweed or other floating macrophytes in ponds.
Some results of feeding fresh duckweed to pigs are presented
in Table 12. Duckweed can replace 20 percent of soya bean meal
in a diet of sugarcane molasses with no adverses effects on
pig performance.
Table 12. Performance of pigs fed fresh duckweed (Lemna spp.)
in final molasses diets.
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Level of requirement, %
Soya bean meal 100 80 80
Fresh lemna - 20 -
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Intake, kg DM/day 2,89 2,89 2,80
Daily gain, kg 0,64 0,63 0,56
Feed conversion, kg DM/kg 4,57 4,58 5,98
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Dominguez and Molinet (1996)
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