author(s)
Sachin Tripura, Shyama K, Ally K, Ajith KS, Usha AP, Sunanda C, Kekhrietsolie Keyho, Asgar Ud Deen, S Vijaya Raghavendran and Sanoodh Mohammed AV

abstract
An experimental study of 21 days was conducted with the objective to study the effect of replacement of maize with cooked barley and spent grapes in ration of Large White Yorkshire (LWY) pregnant sows (n=15) up to furrowing. The pregnant sows (three weeks prior to the expected date of farrowing) were randomly allotted to three (5×3) dietary treatments based on their body weight. In T1 group, the ration of the animals comprised of; Yellow maize, Soybean meal, Salt, Mineral mixture and Calcite. The same ration was fed to T2 group, however 25% of maize in control group ration was replaced with cooked barley, likewise in T3 (25 percent maize in control ration replaced with spent grapes). The ration of all the treatment groups was iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric (18 per cent CP and 3265 Kcal/kg ME). Data on litter size at birth and litter weight at birth were recorded from all animals. The results of the study revealed similar average body weight in all the three dietary treatment groups (11.20, 10.60 and 9.60 in T1, T2 and T3 respectively) and similar average litter weight at birth (1.35, 1.45 and 1.46 kg in T1, T2 and T3 respectively). It is therefore concluded that cooked barley and spent grapes can effectively be used as an alternate feed resource partially replacing maize in the diet of LWY pregnant sows without affecting their performance.