Two experiments were carried out aiming to determine the nutritional value and to verify performance of starting piglets, fed on sticky coffee hull silage (SCHS) diets. The evaluated feeds were sticky coffee hull (SCH) and SCHS. In the Experiment I, a digestibility trial was carried out using fifteen crossbreed barrows, allotted in a completely randomized design. The SCH was ground on a 4 mm screen-opening diameter and was ensilaged with 30% water and enzymatic-bacterial inoculants. In general, the process of ensilage did not improve the SCHS digestibility. In the Experiment II, 60 piglets (15.52 ± 2.19 to 32.52 ± 3.51 kg) were used, allotted in a completely randomized design with five treatments (0, 4, 8, 12, and 16% SCHS), six replicates and two pigs per pen (experimental unit). There were no effects of SCHS inclusion on daily feed intake, daily weight gain, feed to gain ratio and plasma urea nitrogen. It is concluded that SCHS has good nutritional value and can be included up to 16% in starting piglets (15-30 kg) diets without impairing performance, however the economical feasibility of using SCHS will depend on the price of the feedstuffs.
Alternative feedstuffs; digestibility; performance; piglets
