With the objective to evaluate the effect of feed restriction on fecal mineral content of finishing swine, forty-eight barrows, with initial weight of 41.92 ± 0.27 kg were assigned to a randomized experimental block design. Treatments were: T1=ad libitum feeding; T2=95% T1 feed intake; and T3 = 90% T1 feed intake and 16 replications. Animals were kept during 21 days in adaptation period to the treatments in collective pens and metabolism cages. Urine and fecal collection was performed during two days, using 20 g of colored plastic particles as fecal markers. There was a reduction of 8.54% in the daily feed consumption of the diet in T3 animals, causing a decrease close to 9.65% in fecal mineral content, as compared to ad libitum consumption (T1). All macro minerals, except for magnesium, showed significant reduction in the fecal content with the increase of feed restriction. Calcium and potassium fecal content represented about 29% of the excreted mineral matter of the animals and both were significantly reduced with the use of feed restriction. For all micro minerals, the relations between excreted amount and consumed amount were equal or higher than 86.60%, indicating that the animals showed a low retention efficiency of these nutrients. In conclusion, feed restriction in finishing phase of swine cause reduction in the amount of dry matter and almost all minerals excreted. Therefore, the use of this practice can contribute to reduce pollution problems of swine manure.
minerals; nitrogen; phosphorus; copper; zinc; feces; urine
