Effect of Formulating Diets to Reduce Excess Amino Acids on Performance of Growing and Finishing Pigs

For every stage of growth, pigs have a requirement for essential amino acids provided in a specific ratio and for additional nitrogen provided as amino acids or other nitrogen sources to allow synthesis of nonessential amino acids. The typical manner of balancing swin diets has involved supplying several traditional feed ingredients in a ratio in the diet that meets the required level of the most limiting amino acid leaving excesses of most other amino acids. With this method, considerable nitrogen above that needed for nonessential amino acid synthesis is provided and excess nitrogen is excreted in the urine as urea. The Ideal Protein concept is based upon the idea that total amino acid levels and nitrogen levels in the diet are reduced by placing all essential amino acids in the proper ratio and at the proper level with just enough additional nitrogen in the diet to allow nonessential amino acid synthesis. Nitrogen excreted as urea is minimized. This is possible because crystalline amino acids are available for all essential amino acids. However, because of the high cost of some crystalline amino acids, formulation on a complete Ideal Protein basis is not pratical. Because crystallin lysine and methionine are affordable and crystalline threonine and tryptophan prices have been reduced, it is practical to formulate to the first limiting amino acid beyond those four amino acids. For pigs in growth stages 22 to 114 kg that fifth limiting amino acid is isoleucine when using corn and soybean meal as the main dietary ingredients It is possible, therefore, to exactly meet the amino acid ratio and levels of lysine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine, and isoleucine, leaving excesses for only the last five essential amino acids. The research reported herein was designed to evaluate the effect on pig performance throughout the four growth phases of the growing and finishing periods when nitrogen levels in the diet are reduced by systematically balancing for the first through the fifth limiting amino acids utilizing crystalline amino acids to maintain the Ideal Protein ratios for the most limiting amino acids

Effect of Gestation Gain on Lactation Performance and Return to Estrus of First Parity Sows

One of the most costly problems in the swine industry is the high turnover rate of sows in the herd. Failure to consume adequate feed and excess weight loss during lactation has been associated with subsequent reproduction problems. Research has proven that high gestation feeding levels and excessive gestation gain results in low lactation feed intake and excessive sow weight loss during lactation. Sows completing their first parity and sows from extremely productive lines have been identified as those most likely to be lost from the operation because of failure to conceive after weaning. Recommended gestation feeding levels often result in much larger gestation weight gain relative to body weight for first parity sows than mature sows. This might partially explain the high culling rate of sows after their first parity. The research reported herein was designed to determine the effect of gestation gain for first parity sows on farrowing performance, lactation feed intake, change in sow weight, and backfat during lactation and the interval from weaning to estrus

Effects of Feeding Diets Formulated with Amino Acid Profiles Intended for High-, Medium-, and Low-lean Gain Pigs on the Performance of Medium-lean Gain Pigs

The University of Nebraka and South Dakota State University published a Swine Nutrition Guide with nutrient recommendations for pigs in a four-phase feeding system for 20 to 114 kg. The recommendations utilized the concepts of split sex feeding, ideal protein profile relative to lysine, and reduction of nitrogen excretion by lowering the total protein content of the diet with dietary supplementation with economically available amino acids The research reported in this paper was an attempt to evaluate the consequences of feeding diets formulated for three lean groth genotypes to pigs of the medium-lean growth type

Lean Growth and Overall Performance of Pigs During the Finisher Phase as Affected by Lean Growth Potential Determined During the Grower Phase and Dietary Protein Level During the Finisher Phase

Selection for decreased backfat thickness and faster rate of gain has resulted in pigs with increased potential for lean gain. Although energy intake is the limiting factor for lean growth during the grower period, the underlying limiting factor to support increased protein accretion during the finishing stage seems to be lysine intake. At the finishing phase, pigs consume enough feed per day to meet their energy requirements, but protein is the most limiting nutrient Genetics and sex influence growth performance and protein accretion in finishing pigs. Pigs from different protein requirements and these differences have been associated with differences in the rate of lean gain. It is logical to assume that these differences in lean growth potential and protein requirements exist within each contemporary population as well. Pigs with potential for fast rate of lean gain utilize feed more efficiently because they are producing carcasses with more muscle and less fat. Consequently, they require a higher concentration of dietary protein (amino acids) to achieve their genetic potential for lean growth. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the efficacy of selecting pigs for lean growth potential during the grower phase to predict lean growth for these selected pigs during the finisher phase and (2) to evaluate the effect of level of dietary protein on the lean growth and carcass characteristics of these selected genotypes between 60 and 100 kg live weight

Effect of Diet Complexity on the Performance of Newly Weaned Pigs Fed Pharmacological Levels of Zinc Oxide

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace mineral for swine. The requirement for Zn has been suggested to be in the range of 50 to 100 mg/kg for pigs at various stages of growth. The bioavilability of zinc oxide (ZnO) as a source of Zn is lower than other Zn sources such as zinc sulfate (ZnSO4), zinc carbonate (ZnCO3) and Znmethionine in weanling pigs. Recent studies have shown that adding pharmacological levels (2000-4000 mg/kg) of Zn as ZnO to corn-soybean meal based diets improved started pig performance and was effective in controlling E. coli scours for weanling pigs. Very high levels of Zn can be toxic. Studies have demonstrated that Zn toxicosis is not found or is much less severe when ZnO is supplemented in corn-soybean meal dies for weanling pigs than ZnCO3 is the source of pharmacological levels of Zn. The response for weaned pigs to the addition of pharacological levels of ZnO to simple diets containing corn, soybean meal, and dried-whey has not been compared to the addition of the same levels of Zn to complex diets containing these same ingredients plus animal protein supplements. The objective of this study was to determine whether diet composition affected the growth promoting properties of ZnO in weaned pig diets

Effect of Diet Complexity and the Additive Effect of Pharmacological Levels of ZnO and Carbadox on the Performance of Weaned Pigs

The scientific literature documents the efficacy of antibacterial feed additives for weaned pigs. More recently, Feeding therapeutic levels of supplemental zinc (Zn) from zinc oxide (ZnO) stimulated voluntary feed intake and weight gain of young pigs. Over the last decade, research demonstrated that swine diets contianing sub-therapeutic levels of various antibiotics combined with pharmacological levels of copper (Cu) resulted in better performance than when either ingredient was provided individually. In 1982, an additive improvement in performance was found when a sub-therapeutic level (55 mg/kg) of carbodox (CARB) and high level of Cu (125 mg/kg) were provided in combination in a corn-soybean meal diet. The interactive effects of Cu from copper sulfate (CuSO4) and Zn from ZnO in diets for weanling pigs on performance have been evaluated, and the use of 3000 mg/kg Zn alone provided greater performance than the use of both Cu and Zn. Because Cu and Zn have independent biological growth promoting properies, it is necessary to determine if swine diets containing an antimicrobial agent in combination with 3000 mg/kg Zn as ZnO may result in better performance than when either is provided individually. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the additive effects of 3000 mg/kg Zn as ZnO and CARB on weaned pig performance and (2) to evaluate whether simple nursery diets containing Zn as ZnO support performance that is similar to complex (phase I and phase II) nursery diets

Effects of Dietary Energy Concentration During the Grower Period on the Accuracy of Determining Lean Gain Potential During the Finisher Period for Pigs Selected During the Grower Period by Either a Lean Gain Formula or by Plasma Urea Nitrogen Concentration as an Indicator of Lean Gain

It is generally thought that pigs eat to satisfy their demand for energy and the amount of feed consumed is dependent on the energy density of the diet. Therefore, the amount of feed consumed when an energy-dense diet is fed will be lower than when a low energy diet is fed. Protein is the nutrient that is most frequently adjusted as energy density in the diet is changed. Energy intake influences the rates of deposition of lean and fat tissue. Nitrogen accretion is generally limited by voluntary intake of energy for pigs weighing less than 50 kg but not for pigs weighing over 50 kg body weight. When the rate of protein deposition reaches a plateau for a given gender and genotype of pig, further increases in energy intake result in an increased deposition of fat tissue. It is thought that lean gain/day is negatively correlated with plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentrations. In a diet with proper balance of amino acids, PUN levels will increase as the protein concentration of the diet exceeds the protein requirement of the pigs. Pigs with higher lean growth requir4e a higher concentration of amino acids When a group of pigs are fed a given protein concentration, pigs with a higher lean gain/day are expected to have lower PUN concentrations. To maximize efficient production, there would be merit to sorting pigs by their lean gain potential enabling the producer to better match the nutritional needs of each genotype with the pig’s ability to partition energy toward lean and away from fat deposition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of energy concentration of the grower diet on the ability to sort pigs from a contemporary farrowing group based on high or low lean growth potential estimated by (a) lean gain/day (LGPD) based on the NPPC (1991) formula using gain and ultrasound measurements during the grower period of (b) PUN concentrations at the end of the grower period

Influence of Corn Density on Pig Growth and Nutrient Digestibility

The pricing of corn is baded upon a number of factors including moisture content, test weight, level contaminants, and deterioration of quality. It is understood that high moisture content dilutes the concentration of energy and nutrients. Poor quality because of deterioration during storage and the presence of contaminants lowers the palatability of the ingredient and may have negative health ramifications With less logical reasoning it has been assumed that the feeding value of corn for pigs is related to corn’s bulk density. Low-test weight corn is sold at a discount even if moisture content and quality factors are desirable. Corn harvested in the fall of 1992 with a density of either 20.9 kg/bu (46 lb/bu; LO) or 25.5 kg/bu (56 lb/bu; HI) was used in a growth trial and a digestibility study to further evaluate the effect for growing pig