Food compositions for pigs and processes for the feeding of pigs

The food compositions for pigs contain calcium peroxide. Calcium peroxide is administered to the pigs via the oral route in a proportion of 0.02 to 1.3 % by weight of the total food ration. The percentage of lean meat and the quality of the carcasses are thus substantially improved.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to food compositions for pigs. It also relates to a 
process for the feeding of pigs. 
A fundamental problem in the rearing of pigs for meat is to ensure their 
rapid growth while avoiding excessive fatty deposits. This problem is 
partially solved by taking care to keep the animals in good health, in 
vaccinating them and, where necessary, administering bactericidal agents 
such as antibiotics, and in supplying them with a suitable diet. The 
latter consists mainly of cereals with suitable additions of proteins and 
minerals. In this way daily weight increases of 500 to 700 g can be 
obtained during fattening. However, the mean quality of pig carcasses fed 
in this way still leaves much to be desired. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention therefore aims to obtain food compositions for pigs 
which provide an increase in the percentage of lean meat and an 
improvement in the quality of the carcasses. These compositions also 
provide particularly high daily increases in weight during fattening. 
The invention therefore relates to food compositions for pigs which contain 
calcium peroxide. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The calcium peroxide present in the compositions according to the invention 
can be of any known grade. In general a commercial product is used. 
Commercial products in general contain from 30 to 90% of calcium peroxide, 
the remainder comprising various compounds such as calcium oxide, 
hydroxide or carbonate or water and are in the form of particles. Other 
grades of calcium peroxide can also be suitable. 
The calcium peroxide is in general introduced into the food compositions 
according to the invention in proportions such that the ration of peroxide 
ingested daily is at least 0.02% and preferably at least 0.05% of peroxide 
(100%) with respect to the weight of the total food ration. In general 
these proportions are such that the ration of peroxide ingested daily does 
not exceed 1.3% and preferably 0.7% of the weight of the total food 
ration. 
The compositions according to the invention can be in the form of a 
complete food. Thus, they can consist mainly of one or more food 
substances for pigs such as cereals (barley, maize, oats, wheat, sorghum, 
soya, rye, millet) and oilseed cakes. The complete food compositions 
according to the inventon can also contain small quantities of additives 
usually present in compositions of this type such as inorganic salts, 
vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, flavourings, binders and 
antibiotics or other bactericidal agents. 
The complete food compositions according to the invention can be in 
different physical forms for example in the form of compacted tablets, 
granules, powders or even in semi-liquid form. 
The compositions according to the invention can also be in the form of an 
addition to the normal feed. In this case, they can consist mainly of 
calcium peroxide or again contain in addition to the calcium peroxide, 
various other additives such as vitamins, inorganic salts, trace elements, 
amino acids, flavouring products and binders as well as certain active 
substances suited to the specific needs of the animal. These additions can 
be in different physical forms (powders, compacted tablets, or granules 
and if necessary in liquid or semi-liquid form) and can be given to 
animals in the form of a ration separate from the feeds. They can also 
advantageously, be mixed at the moment of use with the food rations. Such 
compositions of food additives contain in general from 5 to 90% and most 
often from 10 to 60% by weight of calcium peroxide. 
The invention also relates to a process for the feeding of pigs according 
to which calcium peroxide is administered to them by the oral route. The 
quantities administered are in general such that the ration ingested daily 
is from 0.02 to 1.3%, and preferably from 0.05 to 0.7%, of the weight of 
the total food ration. These quantities can be administered daily over any 
period and even throughout the life of the animal.

In order to illustrate the invention without, however, restricting its 
scope, some practical examples of application are given below. 
EXAMPLE 
Three batches of 15 male pigs castrated two months before, in good health 
and with a mean weight of around 30 kg were used (batches I to III). They 
were placed in sties in groups of five animals of comparable weight. The 
animals were raised under excellent sanitary conditions. 
The fattening period was 3 months. Throughout this period the animals 
received, ad libitum and to the exclusion of any other food, a dry flour 
for pigs of type 29, sold by INTERAGRI, of 0.95 fodder units and of good 
bacteriological quality, containing 16.2% of proteins and having an energy 
content of 9200 kJ/kg and made up with 0.01% to 100% CaO.sub.2 (batch I, 
groups 1 to 3), 0.3% of 100% CaO.sub.2 (batch II, groups 4 to 6) and 0.6% 
of 100% CaO.sub.2 (batch III, groups 7 to 9), as well as with calcium 
carbonate in order to provide a calcium to phosphorus weight ratio of 1.3 
in all cases. 
The calcium peroxide was used in the form of a product containing 75% of 
CaO.sub.2. 
The fattening performance by group of pigs is shown in Table I below. The 
index of consumption (Ic) represents the total consumption by weight of 
food in relation to the gain in weight over the full period of the test. 
TABLE I 
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Batch Batch I Batch II Batch III 
Group 1 2 3 mean 
4 5 6 mean 
7 8 9 mean 
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CaO.sub.2 (100%) content 
0,01 0,3 0,6 
in the food ration 
Initial weight, kg 
24,8 
27,9 
30,3 
27,7 
25,1 
28,0 
30,3 
27,8 
24,8 
28,1 
30,5 
27,8 
Final weight, kg 
93,1 
91,4 
94,3 
92,9 
95,5 
94,6 
93,4 
94,5 
89,8 
95,3 
92,1 
92,4 
Growth, g/day 
740 
706 
717 
721 
745 
732 
693 
723 
654 
706 
733 
698 
Consumption, kg/day 
2,65 
2,55 
2,69 
2,63 
2,57 
2,70 
2,78 
2,68 
2,40 
2,61 
2,93 
2,65 
Ic 3,58 
3,61 
3,75 
3,65 
3,45 
3,69 
4,01 
3,72 
3,68 
3,69 
3,99 
3,79 
Fattening time, days 
92,2 
90,0 
89,3 
90,5 
94,5 
91,0 
91,0 
92,2 
99,4 
95,2 
84,0 
92,9 
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After around three months, 41 animals were slaughtered including 13 from 
batch I and 14 from each of batches II and III. The carcasses were 
classified according to the EEC standard according to which the letters 
below have the following meanings: 
AA: very good meat pig 
A: meat pig 
B: average meat pig 
I: pork pig 
II: semi-bacon pig 
III: bacon pig. 
The distribution of the pigs by category in each batch and the mean price 
obtained on sale per batch are given in Table II. 
TABLE II 
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Category 
Price per kg 
No. of carcasses 
EEC in Belgian Batch Batch Batch 
Classification 
francs I II III 
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AA 65,0 -- -- 3 
IA 60,0 4 7 3 
IB 56,5 5 3 4 
IIA 56,0 3 3 3 
IIB 50,5 1 1 1 
Average price of batch 
57,0 57,71 58,53 
Belgian francs per kg 
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