Effects of substituting soya bean meal (SBM) with blood meal (BM) on biochemical profile of pregnant pigs.

Twenty-four Large White × Landrace crossbreed primigravid pigs, aged 7.50 to 8.00 months weighing between 86.15 and 88.24 kg were used to study the effects of feeding graded levels of soya bean meal (SBM) replaced blood meal (BM) diets on serum biochemical profile in gestating pigs. The pigs were randomly allotted to four finisher diets formulated such that BM replaced SBM at 0.0, 50.0, 75.0 and 100.0 %, respectively. The diets were T1 (100.0 % SBM, 0.0 % BM), T2 (50.0 % SBM, 50.0 % BM), T3 (25.0 % SBM, 75.0 % BM) and T4 (0.0 % SBM, 100.0 % BM). Individual animal's daily ration of the test diets was 2.20, 2.00 and 2.50 kg at stages one, two and three of gestation. Blood sampling and analysis for the effects of the test diets on biochemical profile of the experimental animals were carried out prior to conception, at weeks 3, 7 and 11 of gestation, respectively. The result showed no significant (P ≥ 0.05) dietary treatment effects on total protein, albumin, globulin fraction, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine and urea profile of the pigs fed with BM diets when compared to the control fed with 100.0 % SBM. There was however a significant (P ≤ 0.05) variation in these biochemical indices in all the experimental groups at different stages of gestation. It was concluded that BM can replace 100.0 % of SBM in the diets of pregnant pigs in the tropical humid environment without any deleterious effect on their health.