Purdue University
Agricultural Experiment Station
Lafayette, Indiana
Mimeo. AH-70 September, 1951 (10M)
Improving the Nutritive Value of Tankage*
Wo Me Beeson, Jess No Henson, and To Wo Perry Department of Animal Husbandry
Meat by-products have always played an important role in the nutrition of swine and have functioned well in balancing many of the deficiencies that exist in corn. However, luring recent years evidence has accumulated which indicates that tankage or meat and bone-scraps, even when combined with alfalfa meal, minerals and vitamins A and D, do not balance the deficiencies of com.
This experiment was designed as a start to determine one by one all of the nutritional factors deficient in a corn and tankage ration for growing and fattening swine. This is a preliminary progress report and many experiments will have to be conducted before this problem is solved.
Thirty Duroc weanling pigs which averaged 33 lb. in weight at the start of the trial were grouped equally into three lots. Equal numbers of barrows and gilts were placed in each group and self-fed continuously in concrete pens. The rations and results are given in Table I.
SUMMARY
1.	These data show that the addition of the three B-vitamins-riboflavin, calcium pantothenate and niacin-to a corn-tankage ration significantly increased the daily gain from 0.99 to 1.25 pounds but did not change appreciably the feed requirements per unit
of gain.
2.	Fortifying a corn-tankage ration with the three B-vitamins (riboflavin, calcium pantothenate and niacin), vitamin B]_2 and terramycin increased the growth rate 0.62 pound daily and improved the feed efficiency when the difference in liveweight of the hogs is considered.
3c Although these preliminary data do not show definitely which one or more of the nutritional factors are essential to improve the nutritive value of tankage, it does show conclusively that a corn-tankage diet can be improved by addition of certain B-vitamin factors and an antibiotic.
4o Research is in progress to determine specifically the nutrients required to make tankage and meat and bone scraps a well balanced supplement for com.
* This project is supported in part by a grant from Kingan & Co., Indianapolis, Indiana.