Abstract
A total of 163 sows were used in a study to determine the requirement for total sulfur amino acids (TSAA), relative to lysine, during lactation. All experimental diets were cornsoybean meal-based and formulated to contain 0.88% true ileal digestible (TID) lysine (0.97% total lysine). The experimental diets contained 0.37% L-lysine HCl, with other crystalline amino acids added to ensure that TSAA was first limiting. The dietary TID TSAA rates were formulated to 0.44, 0.48, 0.53, 0.57, and 0.62%, corresponding to 50, 55, 60, 65, and 70% of lysine, respectively. Sows farrowed in six farrowing groups, and were randomly allotted to the dietary treatments on the basis of parity. Over the entire lactation period, there were no differences (P>0.14) in ADFI, weight loss, backfat loss, or plasma urea nitrogen among sows fed increasing TSAA:Lys ratios. Increasing TSAA, relative to lysine, had no effect (P>0.25) on litter weaning weight or preweaning mortality. In summary, there were no differences in litter performance with increasing TID TSAA:Lys ratio. These results suggest that the requirement for TID TSAA is no more than 50% of lysine. Additional research is needed to confirm this relatively low TSAA requirement, and that the relatively high feed (and amino acid) intake of sows, coupled with possible tissue breakdown as a source of TSAA, did not decrease the dietary requirement.
Highlights
Due to increased litter size and milk production in modern sows, the requirements for amino acids have changed during the past 10 to 15 years
A total of 163 sows were used in a study to determine the requirement for total sulfur amino acids (TSAA), relative to lysine, during lactation
The experimental diets contained 0.37% L-lysine HCl, with other crystalline amino acids added to ensure that TSAA was first limiting
Summary
A total of 163 sows were used in a study to determine the requirement for total sulfur amino acids (TSAA), relative to lysine, during lactation. The experimental diets contained 0.37% L-lysine HCl, with other crystalline amino acids added to ensure that TSAA was first limiting. Over the entire lactation period, there were no differences (P>0.14) in ADFI, weight loss, backfat loss, or plasma urea nitrogen among sows fed increasing TSAA:Lys ratios. There were no differences in litter performance with increasing TID TSAA:Lys ratio. These results suggest that the requirement for TID TSAA is no more than 50% of lysine. Additional research is needed to confirm this relatively low TSAA requirement, and that the relatively high feed (and amino acid) intake of sows, coupled with possible tissue breakdown as a source of TSAA, did not decrease the dietary requirement
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have