Two experimentswere carried out to determine the nutritional value and verify piglets' performancein the nursery phase fed with diets containing common corn (CC), extruded commoncorn (ECC), high-lysine corn (HLC), extruded high-lysine corn (EHLC), high-oilcorn (HOC) and extruded high-oil corn (EHOC). In the total digestibility trial14 barrows averaging 6.49 ± 0.16 kg initial body weight were allotted inmetabolism cages, distributed in a randomized design with seven diets, six replicates,and one piglet per experimental unit. The values of digestible energy (DE),as well as metabolizable energy (ME) as-fed basis for CC, ECC, HLC, EHLC, HOCand EHOC were: 3,428 and 3,327 kcal/kg; 3,439 and 3,355 kcal/kg; 3,533 and 3,414kcal/kg; 3,515 and 3,427 kcal/kg; 3,483 and 3,377 kcal/kg; 3,585 and 3,482 kcal/kg,respectively. In the performance experiment, 84 piglets, weaned at 21 days old,initial live weight of 6.06 ± 0.54 kg were used. Animals were allottedin a completely randomized design in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, usingthree types of corn (CC, HLC and HOC), two forms of processing (processed ornot by extrusion), seven replicates and two piglets per experimental unit. Sixdiets containing CC, ECC, HLC, EHLC, HOC and EHOC were studied. There were noadvantages in the digestibility and performance by extruding the types of cornwith different nutritional profiles, for their use in commercial diets for piglets.The results of the two experiments emphasize the importance of segregating thetypes of corn, extruded or not, in their real chemical and energetic compositionas well as the values of true digestible amino acids for the formulation ofpiglet diets in the nursery phase.
