Lysine requirements of imported European pigs in the humid lowland tropics from 23 to 62 kg liveweight

Abstract

The responses of 144 Large White × Landrace pigs (72 castrated males and 72 females; mean initial liveweight approximately 23 kg) to graded additions of L-lysine monohydrochloride to a basal diet containing yellow maize and groundnut meal and 180 g crude protein per kg were studied. Total dietary lysine levels ranged from 5–12 g kg −1. All diets contained digestible energy of 15.44–16.02 MJ kg −1 DM. The pigs were individually fed from 23 to 33, 47 or 62 kg liveweight. Growth performance, carcass characteristics, nitrogen retention and plasma urea concentration were employed as response criteria. Influence of sex on lysine requirements for optimum growth, nitrogen retention and efficiency of essential amino acids utilization measured by minimum plasma urea concentration was also investigated. Supplementing the basal diet with L-lysine monohydrochloride significantly ( P < 0.001) improved growth performance. Castrated male pigs grew faster and responded better to dietary lysine supplementation than gilts. No apparent decline in lysine requirements for optimum growth performance was observed for the two sexes of pigs as they got older. Optimum growth performance in castrated males was obtained with 9, 8 and 8 g lysine kg −1 diets for the liveweight ranges 23–33, 23–47 and 23–62 kg, respectively. Optimum growth performance of the gilts for all three liveweight ranges was obtained at an estimated dietary lysine concentration of 11 g kg −1. Optimum lean deposition, carcass leanness and other carcass measurements were obtained at 8 g lysine kg −1 diet. Carcass data were not analysed for influence of sex. Plasma urea concentration showed further evidence of a quicker and cheaper indirect index of dietary amino acid adequacy in pigs. Minimal plasma urea concentration was obtained at 7–8 g lysine kg −1 diet for the three liveweight ranges investigated. In a humid tropical environment, such as Ibadan, the dietary lysine requirement of Large White × Landrace pigs of 23–62 kg is about 9 g lysine kg −1 diet for optimum growth performance and carcass quality, but nitrogen metabolism and plasma urea data suggest a lower level of to 7–9 g lysine kg −1 diet.