Abstract
Two production trials with piglets and one with slaughter pigs were carried out in order to investigate the effects of reducing the protein content in the diets followed by an addition of industrial amino acids on performance and health status. In the first piglet trial the crude protein content of the control diet was decreased from 20 to 18.3 % and in the second from 18.3 to 16.7 %. In the trial with growing pigs, the protein content of the control diet was decreased from 17.0 to 15.5 %. Industrial L-lysine, DL-methionine and L-threonine were added to the low protein diets to get the same levels of these amino acids as in the control diets. Piglet performance was similar on all treatments indicating equal availability of added and protein-bound amino acids. Health status of piglets on the low protein diets was considerably improved, indicating less predisposition to post weaning diarrhoea. Pigs on the low protein amino acid fortified diet tended to gain weight faster (788 vs. 743 g/day; p
Highlights
In Finland, as in many other countries, protein is both quantatively and pricewise a limiting factor in pig feed manufacture
To achieve maximum protein utilization, an “ideal protein’’, as described by Cole (1980), should be formed containing the exact amounts of essential amino acids to meet the requirements of the pig
There is some inconsistency in the results reported from performance trials regarding the effect of adding industrial amino acids to diets for growing pigs (Eggum et al, 1985 a; 1985 b)
Summary
In Finland, as in many other countries, protein is both quantatively and pricewise a limiting factor in pig feed manufacture. There is some inconsistency in the results reported from performance trials regarding the effect of adding industrial amino acids to diets for growing pigs (Eggum et al, 1985 a; 1985 b). Miller et al (1986 a) showed that some proteins, due to their antigenicity, can induce immunological reactions in the small intestine of newly weaned piglets causing morphological changes in the gut wall. By decreasing the protein content of creep and post weaning diets, the hypersensitivity response to the feeds can be reduced resulting in improved performance and health status (Bertschinger et al, 1986, Miller et al 1986 b). The purpose of the trials reported in this paper was to investigate the effects of adding industrial amino acids to piglet and pig feeds with reduced protein content on performance and health status
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