A note on the influence of micronization and polyethylene glycol on the nutritional value of brown sorghum for growing pigs

Micronization followed by grinding of brown-seeded sorghum increased starch availability in vitro but had no effect on proximate composition of the grain. In diets containing 70% of sorghum in ground or micronized and ground form, apparent digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen and nitrogen retention by growing pigs were improved (2·5, 5·0 and 12·2% respectively). Addition to the diet of 0*2 g polyethylene glycol per g crude protein in the sorghum fraction produced similar effects. In the ground cereal diet inclusion of polyethylene glycol increased apparent digestibility of gross energy (3·8%) and improved metabolizable energy content by 5·5%, but i n the micronized and ground cereal diet the additive had no effect.