Protein digestibility of hydrolyzed hog hair meal for pigs

Thirty-six crossbred castrated male and female pigs, initially averaging 76.2 kg, were used in a nitrogen balance study to determine apparent digestible protein, apparent net protein utilization and apparent biological values of hydrolyzed hog hair (HHH) meal for pigs. The HHH meal contained 93.4% crude protein and 22.6 MJ per kg of gross energy. Digestibility of protein was linearly decreased (P < 0.01) as HHH meal was substituted for 25 and 50% of the maize and soya bean meal protein in a basal diet fortified with minerals and vitamins and containing 14% crude protein. There was a trend for apparent net protein utilization values to decrease and apparent biological values to increase as HHH meal was substituted. Assuming linearity, nitrogen utilization values (%) calculated by difference for HHH meal were: apparent digestible protein, 74.7 ± 1.6; apparent net protein utilization, 44.0 ± 3.4; apparent biological value, 57.2 ± 3.7.