Abstract
A total of 2,121 growing-finishing pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Large White) were utilized in six experiments conducted to determine the effects of different ratios of standardized ileal digestible lysine (SID-Lys) to metabolizable energy (ME) on the performance and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. Exps. 1 (30 to 50 kg), 2 (52 to 70 kg) and 3 (81 to 104 kg) were conducted to find an optimum ME level and then this level was used in Exps. 4 (29 to 47 kg), 5 (54 to 76 kg) and 6 (84 to 109 kg) to test the response of pigs to different ratios of SID-Lys:ME. In Exps.1 to 3, four treatments were used consisting of diets with a formulated ME content of 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 or 3.4 in Exps. 1 and 2 while Exp. 3 used 3.05, 3.15, 3.25 or 3.35 Mcal/kg. A constant SID-Lys:ME ratio of 2.6, 2.3 or 2.0 g/Mcal was used in Exps. 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Weight gain was significantly increased with increasing energy level in Exp.1 while weight gain was unaltered in Exps. 2 and 3. For all three experiments, feed intake was decreased (P < 0.05) and feed efficiency was improved (P < 0.05) with increasing energy level. Tenth rib back fat thickness linearly increased (P < 0.05) with increasing energy level. In Exps. 4 to 6, five treatments were used consisting of diets with a SID-Lys:ME ratio of 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, 3.0 or 3.2 in Exp. 1, 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.7, 2.9 or 3.2 in Exp. 2 and 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, or 2.6 in Exp. 3. A constant ME level 3.2, 3.2 and 3.05 Mcal/kg was used in Exps. 1, 2 and 3, respectively (selected based on the results of weight gain). For all three experiments, weight gain increased (P < 0.05) and feed efficiency improved linearly (P < 0.05) as the SID-Lys:ME ratio increased. Tenth rib back fat thickness linearly decreased (P < 0.05) as the SID-Lys:ME ratio increased. Based on a straight broken-line model, the estimated SID-Lys:ME ratio to maximize weight gain was 3.0, 2.43 and 2.2 for 29 to 47, 54 to76 and 84 to 109 kg of pigs, respectively.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors sincerely acknowledge the financial support received from the State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition (2004DA125184-0810) of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China (31072040), Guangdong cooperation project between Industry-Academia-Research of China (2009B090300110) and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (2006BAD12B05-10; Nyhyzx07-34). Thanks the great support of MHA from Novus international Inc., and thank Dr. Thacker P. A. (University of Saskatchewan, Canada) for excellent assistance in editing this manuscript.
Keywords
- Carcass characteristics
- Growing-finishing pigs
- Metabolizable energy
- Performance
- Standardized ileal digestible lysine