EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTING AZOLLA PINNATA ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF WEANED PIGLETS

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of supplementing Azolla pinnata on the growth performance in weaned piglets. A total of 28 piglets were used for the study. It was divided into four treatment groups using a Randomized Complete Block Design. The piglets in the control group were fed with concentrate feed alone; piglets in Treatment 1 were supplemented with 10% Azolla, Treatment 2 with 20% Azolla supplement, and Treatment 3 with 30% Azolla. The trial was conducted for 42 days. The study showed a significant difference (p<0.05) in the overall weight gain. The lowest overall weight gain 2.9±0.20 kg was in Control and the highest overall weight gain 6.32±0.48 kg was in Treatment 3. The Average Daily Gain showed a significant difference (p<0.05) among the groups. The highest ADG of 0.12±0.1061 kg was recorded in Treatment 3 and the lowest 0.06±0.0057 kg was recorded in the control group. There was no significant difference in the FCR of the four treatment groups. Therefore, it can be concluded that supplementing Azolla has noticeable results on weight gain, FCR, and ADG. Besides, it is suggested to conduct an in-depth study taking a larger sample size in weaned piglets with the supplementation of a higher percent of Azolla pinnata in feed and assess their performance for one production cycle.