Traditionally pig feeds are characterised by their ingredient,chemical composition,nutritive value,and form of presentation
Many steps are involved in the processing of pig diets and each of these steps can have an impact on both the nutritive value of the feed and the performance of the animal.
Cereal grain are milled before being incorporated into pig diets,and different milling protocols will result in diets of different average particle size and particle size distribution.
Particle size has been reported to influence nutrient digestibility,growth rate,feed intake,feed conversion ratio and gut health,especially in terms of gastric ulceration
In New Zealands,barley is the main cereal grain used in pig diet.
The aim of this experiment was to examine the effect of barley particle size on the growth performance,nutrient digestibility and gastric ulceration in pig barley-base diets.
In addition,the effect of dietary particle size on intestinal morphology were investigated as data in this area are scarce.