The influence of added lysine during lactation on sow and litter performance

An on-farm field study utilizing 287 crossbred sows was conducted to investigate the influence of additional dietary lysine during lactation on sow and litter performance. At farrowing, sows were randomly assigned to one of two milo-soybean meal diets containing either .65% (13.5 % CP) or .85% lysine (16.3% CP). Average sow parity was 3.75, and sows on both treatments had a similar number of pigs born alive and similar pig and litter birth weights. All litters were equalized to approximately 9.5 pigs within 24 hours following farrowing, and average lactation length was 21 d. No treatment x parity interactions were observed for any response criteria. Pig and litter weaning weights were increased from 13.10 and 114.7 to 13.65 and 120.9 lb for sows fed the .65% and .85% lysine diets, respectively. Pig survival was excellent for both groups of sows; however, survivability tended to be improved for 2nd and 4th parity sows fed the .85% lysine diet. Increased dietary lysine during lactation resulted in no difference for number days from weaning to estrus; however, the subsequent farrowing rate for the sows fed the .85% lactation diet was 75.7% as compared to 70.4% for the sows fed the .65% lysine diet. These results indicate that increased dietary lysine during lactation improved pig and litter weaning weights

Effects of the interrelationship between dietary lysine and litter size on sow and litter performance

One hundred and forty-three lactating primiparous sows were used in a study to determine the influence of four different litter sizes on the dietary lysine requirement as measured by sow and litter performance. At farrowing, sows were randomly assigned to one of three corn soybean meal diets (.67, .94, or 1.22 % lysine) and one of four litter sizes (8, 9, 10, or 11 pigs). Sows were fed 7.7, 9.9, and 12.1 IbId of their respective diet for the first, second, and third week of lactation. This provided an average daily lysine intake of 30.1, 42.2, or 54.8 gld throughout the 21-day lactation period. Ratio of other amino acids relative to lysine were kept constant to ensure that lysine was first limiting, and all diets contained 5% soybean oil to increase the energy density. Sows were fed twice daily, and feed disappearance was recorded each day. Litters were adjusted to their treatment size within 72 h after farrowing. If a pig died during the lactation period, a pig of similar age and weight was used as a replacement. Sows and litters were weighed weekly, and average backfat was measured at farrowing and weaning (d 21). There were no interactions between litter size and lysine intake for litter weight gain. Utter weight gain was increased by increasing litter size. Increasing dietary lysine tended to improve litter weight gain. A dietary lysine x litter size interaction was observed for sow weight loss. Sow weight loss was increased as litter size increased. However, increased dietary lysine reduced sow weight loss. Sow backfat loss was not affected by litter size or dietary lysine. In conclusion, it appears that sows require approximately 42.5 gld lysine to maximize 21-d litter weight gain. Surprisingly, litter size did not influence the sows lysine requirement. Increasing litter size increased sow weight loss, but this response was minimized by increasing dietary lysine

Effect of diet type and added copper on growth performance, carcass characteristics, energy digestibility, gut morphology, and mucosal mRNA expression of finishing pigs

A total of 757 pigs (PIC 337 × 1050, initially 60.8 lb) were used to determine the effects of added Cu (TBCC, tribasic copper chloride, IntelliBond C; Micronutrients, Inc., Indianapolis, IN) and diet type on growth performance, carcass characteristics, energy digestibility, gut morphology, and mucosal mRNA expression of finishing pigs. Pens of pigs were allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments, balanced on average pen weight in a randomized complete-block design with 26 to 28 pigs per pen and 7 replications per treatment. Treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of diet type, a corn-soybean meal-based diet or a high by-product diet with 30% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and 15% bakery meal (by-product), and with or without added Cu (0 or 150 ppm added Cu). There were no Cu × diet type interactions for growth performance. Overall, neither added Cu nor diet type influenced growth performance. Pigs fed the by-product diet had decreased carcass yield (P = 0.007) and HCW F/G (P = 0.013), and tended to have decreased HCW (P = 0.067) and HCW ADG (P = 0.056) compared to pigs fed the corn-soybean meal-based diet. A Cu × diet type interaction (P < 0.05) existed for DM and GE digestibility during the early finishing period as added Cu improved digestibility of DM and GE in the corn-soybean mealbased diet, but not in the by-product diet. During the late finishing period, added Cu increased DM and GE digestibility (P = 0.060), while pigs fed the by-product diet had decreased DM and GE digestibility (P = 0.001). For gut morphology, pigs fed added Cu had decreased crypt depth (P = 0.017) in the distal small intestine. Relative mRNA expression of intestinal fatty acid binding protein (iFABP) was decreased (P = 0.032) in pigs fed added Cu. In summary, adding 150 ppm added Cu or including 30% DDGS and 15% bakery meal into a corn-soybean meal-based diet did not influence growth performance. However, HCW ADG and HCW G/F were reduced in pigs fed the by-product diet. Only minor differences in gut morphology or mRNA expression were observed from pigs fed diets with high levels of Cu or by-products compared to those fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet

The effects of an "ideal protein" lactation diet on sow and litter performance

Four hundred lactating sows were used to determine the influence of an ideal protein lactation diet on sow productivity. Sows were fed either a 15.8% crude protein, corn soybean meal, control diet or a 12.6% protein diet supplemented with synthetic amino acids to a 15.8% crude protein equivalent. Lactation diet had no influence on litter weaning wt (114.5 vs 114.7 lb), daily feed intake (12.5 vs 12.7 lb), pig survivability (92.3 vs 93.1 %), or sow backfat loss (.11 vs .12 in). However, sows fed the ideal protein diet lost more weight than sows fed the control diet (18.6 vs 25.1 lb). These results indicate that an ideal protein diet based on synthetic amino acid additions can be effectively used during lactation without depressing sow milk production, as measured by litter weaning wt. However, the ideal protein diet did not improve sow productivity and resulted in increased sow weight loss

Using immunological criteria to predict utilization of soybean proteins by the early-weaned pig

Two trials were conducted to determine the suitability of soybean products for baby pigs. For trial 1, 40 weanling pigs were orally infused with .01 lb/pig/d of either dried skim milk (control), soybean meal (48% CP), soy protein concentrate, extruded soy protein concentrate, or soy protein isolate from d 7 to 12 of age, weaned at 21 d of age, and fed a diet containing the corresponding protein source until d 7 postweaning. Sows were fed a corn-corn gluten meal-based diet supplemented with lysine and tryptophan to avoid exposure of pigs to soybean proteins. All pigs were sacrificed at 28 d of age. In Trial 2, 48 pigs were utilized, with preweaning treatments identical to those in Trial 1 except the soy protein isolate was not used as a treatment. They were fed a diet containing the same protein source for 2 wk postweaning, then fed a common diet with 4% soybean oil and 1.25% lysine for 3 wk. Growth performance was measured. Results indicated that pigs fed diets containing soybean meal had lower villus height and rate of gain than pigs on any other treatments. There were no differences in villus height and crypt depth among soy protein concentrate, extruded soy protein concentrate, and soy protein isolate. In the growth trial, pigs fed the diet containing extruded soy protein concentrate had the highest ADG compared to other soybean products tested. Decreased villus height and increased serum anti-soy IgG titers, coinciding with inferior performance and presence of residual antigenic protein in the digestive tract of baby pigs fed soybean meal, indicate that conventionally processed, commercial soybean meal retain antigens that cause immunological changes in early-weaned pigs

Influence of carnichrome(c) on energy balance of gestating sows

International audienc

Influence of carnichrome on the energy balance of gestating sows

International audienc

Determining the valine requirement of the mgr-producing lactating sow

Two hundred-three large white x Landrace or large white x Chester White x Landrace sows (40 or 41/treatment, avg parity 3.7) were used in a 26 d lactation experiment to determine the valine requirement of high-producing sows. All diets were formulated to .9% lysine with all amino acids other than valine formulated to be at least 110% of their respective ratios relative to lysine. Synthetic valine replaced cornstarch to provide .75, .85, .95, 1.05, and 1.15% dietary valine. Corresponding valine:lysine ratios were 83, 94, 106, 117, and 128% of lysine. The experiment was conducted at two experiment stations from July, 1993 through January, 1994. Mean litter size of all treatments after adjustment was 10.33 pigs. Sow feed intake and grams of lysine intake were not different among treatments. Grams of valine intake increased linearly as dietary valine increased. Litter weight at d 21 and weaning increased linearly with increasing dietary valine. Litter weight gain from d 0 to 7 increased linearly as dietary valine increased to 1.15 %. Litter weight gain from d 0 to 21 and d 0 to weaning increased linearly as dietary valine increased, with the greatest portion of the response observed as valine increased to 1.05% of the diet. Dietary valine had no effect on sow weight change, 10th rib backfat (BF) change, or last lumbar BF change from d 0 to 21 or d 0 to weaning. Days to estrus postweaning were not affected by dietary valine. These results demonstrate that high-producing sows have a dietary valine requirement of at least 117% of lysine during lactation (66.4 g/d valine), much greater than is currently recommended by NRC (1988; 100% of lysine) or ARC (1981; 70% of lysine) to maximize litter weaning weight and litter weight gain

Effect of diet type and added copper on growth performance, carcass characteristics, energy digestibility, gut morphology, and mucosal mRNA expression of finishing pigs

A total of 757 pigs (PIC 337 × 1050; initially 27.6 kg BW) were used in a 117-d experiment to determine the effects of added Cu from tribasic copper chloride and diet type on growth performance, carcass characteristics, energy digestibility, gut morphology, and mucosal mRNA expression of finishing pigs. Pens of pigs were allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments, balanced on average pen weight in a randomized complete block design with 26 to 28 pigs per pen and 7 replications per treatment. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of diet type, a corn-soybean meal-based diet (corn-soy) or a high by-product diet (by-product) with 30% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and 15% bakery meal, and added Cu (0 or 150 mg/kg added Cu). There were no Cu × diet type interactions for growth performance. Overall, neither added Cu nor diet type influenced growth performance. However, caloric efficiency was decreased (P = 0.001) for pigs fed the by-product diet compared to the corn-soy diet. Pigs fed the by-product diet had decreased (P < 0.05) carcass yield and carcass G:F) and marginally decreased (P < 0.07) HCW and carcass ADG compared to pigs fed the corn-soy diet. A Cu × diet type interaction (P < 0.05) existed for DM and GE digestibility during the early finishing period as added Cu improved (P < 0.05) digestibility of DM and GE in the corn-soy diet, but not in the by-product diet. During the late finishing period, added Cu marginally increased (P = 0.060) DM and GE digestibility while pigs fed the by-product diet had decreased DM and GE digestibility (P = 0.001) compared to those fed the corn-soy diet. For gut morphology, pigs fed added Cu had decreased crypt depth (P = 0.017) in the distal small intestine compared to those fed no added Cu. Furthermore, relative mRNA expression of intestinal fatty acid binding protein (iFABP) was decreased (P = 0.032) in pigs fed added Cu compared to those fed no added Cu. In summary, adding 150 mg/kg added Cu or including 30% DDGS and 15% bakery meal into a corn-soy diet did not influence growth performance. However, HCW ADG and HCW G:F were reduced in pigs fed the by-product diet compared to the corn-soy diet. Only minor differences in gut morphology or mRNA expression were observed from feeding diets with high levels of Cu or by-products compared to a corn-soy diet