207 Improving Performance of Finishing Pigs with Added Val, Ile, and Trp: Validating a Meta-analysis Model

Abstract

Abstract Based on a recent meta-analysis, we hypothesized that increased dietary Val, Ile, or Trp could correct possible amino acid interactions caused by high dietary Leu in diets containing high levels of corn protein, namely dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). A total of 1,200 pigs (PIC TR4×(Fast LW×PIC L02); initially 33.6±0.63 kg) were used in a 103-d study. The 6 dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal-DDGS-based diets as follow: low level of Lys-HCl (SBM), high Lys-HCl and moderate Ile, Val, Trp (NC; AA above NRC 2012 estimates), moderate Lys-HCl and high Ile, Val, Trp (PC), and PC with either increased L-Val (Val), L-Ile (Ile), or L-Trp (Trp). Diets contained 30% DDGS until pigs reached approximately 100 kg and then 20% DDGS until market. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design using lmer function in lme4 package in R with pen considered as the experimental unit, body weight as blocking factor, and treatment as a fixed effect with 10 replicates/treatment. Overall final BW and ADG were greater for pigs fed SBM, Val, and Ile diets than the NC with PC and Trp intermediate. Pigs fed the Val diet had greater (R< 0.05) ADFI than the NC with pigs fed SBM, PC, Ile, and Trp intermediate. No differences were detected between treatments for G:F. In conclusion, increasing Val or Ile in high Lys-HCl-DDGS-based diets improved growth performance and final BW compared with pigs fed diets containing high levels of HCl-Lys without added Val and Ile. These results demonstrate that negative effects of high Leu in corn-DDGS-based diets can be overcome by increasing the ratios of Val and Ile to Lys.