Abstract
Twenty four post-weaning male Landrace piglets were used in three trials. The piglets were fed a starter diet which had low crude fiber content of 1.0%, gross energy content of 17.1kJ/g and crude protein content of 22.6%. Digestibility, energy and nitrogen metabolism of the piglets kept at 5°C were compared to the piglets at 25°C. The piglets fed similar amount of the diet at 5°C and 25°C in two trials. In another trial, the piglets kept at 5°C fed 48% higher amount of the diet compared with the piglets at 25°C. The results are summarized as follows. 1) Any changes of digestibilities of nutrients due to cold were not recognized ine very trials. 2) The piglets kept at 5°C decreased mean nitrogen retention per nitrogen intake to 45.3% compared with 59.7% at 25°C through the three trials. 3) Mean metabolizabilities of energy (ME/GE) through the three trials were significantly different with environmental temperature (87.1% at 5°C vs. 88.5% at 25°C, P<4.41), but the differece was extremely small.
