Feed-grade Amino Acid Research Articles

109 Evaluation of net energy, standardized ileal digestible lysine, and soybean meal content interaction in 13 to 25 kg pigs using a central composite design

Abstract Pigs [n = 4,683; 337 × 1050, PIC; initial body weight (BW) = 13.0 ± 0.01 kg] were used in a 21-d trial to investigate the interaction of net energy (NE), standardized ileal digestible lysine (SID Lys), and soybean meal (SBM) content used at five different levels on growth performance of nursey pigs. Pigs were housed in mixed sex pens with 35 pigs per pen and assigned in a randomized complete block design to 15 dietary treatments using a circumscribed central composite design (CCD). Factorial and axial points had 7 repetitions, and the central points had a total of 24. Eight diets were formulated to various levels of NE, SID Lys, and SBM and blended to create the 15 dietary treatments. The NE ranged from 2,334 to 2,762 kcal/kg, SID Lys from 1.08 to 1.52%, and SBM from 25.5 to 35.9%. Diets were corn-soybean meal based and soy hulls and soybean oil were added to reduce or increase NE content of the diet. Feed grade amino acids and SBM were used to adjust SBM and SID Lys content and to maintain SID Thr, Trp, Met, Val, and Ile ratios relative to SID Lys. For NE, a linear effect (P ≤ 0.052) was observed for average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI), and linear and quadratic effect was found (P ≤ 0.047) for gain to feed ratio (G:F) with a reduction in growth performance as NE increased due to reduction in SID Lys:calorie. When increasing SID Lys, ADG (P ≤ 0.044) and G:F (P ≤ 0.020) increased quadratically (Table). Increasing SBM content linearly improved ADG (P = 0.039) and G:F (P < 0.001), respectively. There was also a significant interaction between SID Lys and SBM for G:F (P = 0.082), where SID Lys positively impacted G:F as SBM increased in the diet. When including the significant terms, the resulting models can be used to predict the ADG (kg) response = [0.579392 + (-0.0063389 × NE) + (0.0260796 × Lys) + (0.0067428 × SBM%) + (-0.0065721 × Lys²) adjusted R2 = 0.36], and G:F (kg/kg) response = [0.7013215 + (0.0035198 × NE) + (0.0264389 × Lys) + (0.0060863 × SBM%) + (-0.0048012 × NE²) + (-0.0031838 × Lys²) + (-0.0034413 × Lys × SBM) adjusted R2 = 0.65]. In conclusion, using a CCD, increasing SID Lys resulted in a quadratic improvement in ADG and G:F, with this improvement being greater when SBM also increased. Overall, we observed few interactions between SID Lys, SBM, and NE.

25 Effects of dietary standardized ileal digestible lysine on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and economics of pigs from 100 to 130 kg

Abstract A total of 1,570 finishing pigs (337 × 1050, PIC; initially 103.4 ± 0.85 kg) were used in a 28-d trial to determine the effects of feeding increasing standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys to pigs between 100 to 130 kg on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and economics. Before the beginning of the study, the 3 heaviest pigs per pen were removed and marketed with all remaining pigs marketed 28-d later at the end of the study. Pigs were housed in mixed sex pens, with 20 pigs per pen and 20 pens per treatment. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with four dietary treatments: 0.63, 0.68, 0.75, and 0.82% SID Lys. Diets were corn-soybean meal-based and fed in meal form. Dietary treatments were similar in NE and increasing SID Lys was achieved by increasing soybean meal and feed grade amino acids. For the first 14 d from 100 to approximately 118 kg, there was a linear tendency for increased (P = 0.074) average daily gain (ADG), a linear improvement (P < 0.05) in gain to feed ratio (G:F), and increase (P < 0.001) in SID lysine intake per kg of gain as SID Lys increased (Table). For the second 14 d from 118 to 128 kg, SID Lys intake per kg of gain increased (P < 0.001) as SID Lys increased, however; there was no evidence for difference (P > 0.10) for any growth performance traits. Overall, there was a linear increase (P = 0.018) in G:F and increase (P < 0.001) in SID lysine intake per kg of gain as SID Lys increased. Increasing SID Lys also linearly increased (P < 0.05) percentage lean and decreased (P < 0.05) backfat depth with no evidence for differences (P > 0.10) in other carcass criteria. For economics, feed cost and feed cost per kg of gain linearly increased (P < 0.05) as SID Lys increased in both low and high-price scenarios. Income over feed cost linearly decreased (P < 0.05) as dietary SID Lys increased in a low-price scenario, but there was no difference between treatments in a high-price scenario (P > 0.10). In conclusion, increasing dietary SID lysine in the last 28-d of the finisher period linearly increased G:F and SID Lys intake per kg of gain without significantly influencing other growth performance traits. Feed cost per kg of gain was linearly increased for both low and high-price scenarios with a detriment for IOFC with increasing SID Lys in the low-price scenario.

110 Effects of increasing levels of soybean meal in nursery diets on growth performance and fecal dry matter of 10 to 25 kg pigs

Abstract With the recent Renewable Fuel Standard Program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency, soybean oil is expected to be in record demand by the fuel energy industry. As a result, there will be the potential opportunity for increased usage of soybean meal (SBM) in swine diets. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of SBM in late nursery diets on growth performance and fecal dry matter (DM). In Exp. pigs [n = 1,266; DNA 241 × 600; initial body weight (BW) = 10.1 ± 0.27 kg] were fed 1 of 4 dietary treatments which were corn-based with SBM levels of 25.0, 28.9, 32.5, or 36.2%. In Exp. pigs (n = 2,340; DNA 241 × 600; initial BW = 13.5 ± 0.29 kg) were fed 1 of 5 dietary treatments which were corn-based with SBM levels of 25.0, 28.9, 32.5, 36.2, or 40.0%. Both experiments lasted 21 d with 14 replicate pens/treatment and 4 or 5 pigs/pen. At d 21 and 26 postweaning for Exp. 1 and 2, respectively, pens of pigs were randomly allotted to treatments in a randomized complete block design with BW as the blocking factor. Additions of SBM replaced feed-grade amino acids to form experimental diets, and all diets were formulated to be nearly isocaloric with SBM NE considered to be 100% of corn NE. Dietary additions of feed-grade AA were adjusted to meet or exceed NRC (2012) AA requirements in relation to Lys for Ile, Met, Cys, Thr, Trp, and Val. In Exp. 1, increasing SBM from 25.0 to 36.2% decreased average daily gain (ADG; linear, P = 0.012), average daily feed intake (ADFI; linear, P < 0.001), and final BW (linear, P = 0.021), with the greatest change occurring when SBM increased from 28.9 to 32.5% (Table). No evidence for difference between treatments was observed for gain to feed ratio (G:F; P = 0.729). Fecal DM decreased (linear, P < 0.006) as SBM increased in the diet at d 7, but not on d 21. In Exp. 2, starting with a heavier initial BW, increasing SBM from 25.0 to 40.0% decreased ADFI (linear, P = 0.017), with the greatest change occurring when SBM increased from 32.5 to 36.2%. However, no evidence for treatment differences (P ≥ 0.198) was observed for ADG, final BW, or G:F. Fecal DM decreased (linear, P ≤ 0.046) at d 7 and 21 as SBM increased in the diet. In conclusion, feeding greater than 28.9% SBM for nursery pigs starting at 10 kg BW does compromise performance, but when pigs are closer to 13.5 kg BW, greater SBM diets did not affect ADG or G:F. Also, increasing the level of SBM reduced fecal DM more markedly a week after the transition to high SBM diets compared with 3 wk after the start of treatment feeding.

Determining the Productive Energy of Soybean Meal Relative to Corn and Feed-grade Amino Acids

Determining the Productive Energy of Soybean Meal Relative to Corn and Feed-grade Amino Acids

239 Effects of Increasing Soybean Meal in Corn- or Corn-Ddgs-Based Diets on Growth Performance of Early Finishing Pigs

Abstract With the recent renewable fuels initiative, demand for soybean oil is expected to reach a record high. Consequently, there will be unprecedented amounts of soybean meal (SBM) produced and available. As a result, the opportunity will arise for increased usage of SBM in swine diets at the expense of feed-grade amino acids. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the maximum amount of SBM that can be added to early finishing pigs fed corn- (Exp. 1) or corn-DDGS- (Exp. 2) based diets. Experiment 1 used 625 pigs [initial body weight (BW) = 43.2 ± 0.68 kg], 70 pens with 9 or 10 pigs per pen, and 5 added SBM levels, 19.1, 22.6, 26.3, 29.9, and 33.4%, corresponding to crude protein levels of 13.1, 14.1, 15.2, 16.2, and 17.3%, respectively, with 14 replicate pens per treatment. Experiment 2 used 1,053 pigs (initially 39.1 ± 0.78 kg), 40 pens with 26 or 27 pigs, and 4 added SBM levels, 18.2, 23.5, 28.9, and 34.3%, corresponding to crude protein levels of 18.2, 23.5, 28.9, and 34.3%, respectively, with 10 replicate pens per treatment (Table). The diet with the highest level of SBM in each experiment contained no feed-grade amino acids. Minimum levels of Ile, Met & Cys, Thr, Trp, and Val were 58, 60, 65, 19.8, and 72% of lysine, respectively. The experimental diets were corn-SBM-based, and in Exp. 2, 20% DDGS was added to all diets. In both experiments, diets were isocaloric and formulated considering SBM NE at 100% of Corn NE. In Exp. 1, no differences were observed for BW (P = 0.42) and ADFI (P = 0.46); however, increasing SBM linearly increased ADG (P = 0.04), though the greatest change was from increasing SBM from 19.1 to 22.6%, and tended to quadratically improve feed efficiency (P = 0.09). In Exp. 2, with the inclusion of DDGS, no differences (P > 0.32) were observed for any growth performance criteria. In conclusion, increasing levels of SBM (up to 33.4%) in early finishing pig diets linearly improved growth performance and feed efficiency in corn-soybean meal-based diets. However, when DDGS were included in the diet, pig performance was not affected regardless of the amount of SBM within the range from 18.2 to 34.3%. Replacing feed-grade amino acids by increasing the level of SBM in early finishing diets can improve growth performance, but this effect was not observed when DDGS were added to the diets.

Meta-analysis of the effect of low-protein diets on the growth performance, nitrogen excretion, and fat deposition in broilers

In broilers, the effects of crude protein (CP) reduction on animal performance are heterogeneous. This could limit the use of this strategy in commercial farms despite its potential to improve the sustainability of production. The objective of this meta-analysis was to study the effect of lowering dietary CP in fast-growing broilers with a focus on growth performance. A database was built from 29 papers published after 2016, for a total of 106 trials and 268 treatments. To be included in the database, trials had to be iso-energy and iso-lysine. Trials in which the growth rate for the control treatment was below 90% of the genetic potential of the birds were not included. The effect of the CP level was analyzed by multiple linear regression, with the trial as a random effect. A subsample of 33 trials (AACON) met the recommended amino acid (AA)-to-lysine ratios for indispensable AAs. In this subdatabase, average daily gain and average daily feed intake were maintained when dietary CP was reduced. The feed conversion ratio increased by 1.3% when CP was reduced by a one percentage point. The same CP reduction decreased daily nitrogen (N) excretion by 10.4%, whereas N retention was not affected by CP. In conclusion, respecting the ideal protein concept with the use of feed-grade AA allows for a decrease in dietary CP and N excretion with a limited impact on growth performance.

Precision feeding for optimizing poultry production

Abstract Consumable poultry from the broiler chicken sector represents a highly complex production and processing supply chain system, yet poultry products are highly versatile, healthy, and affordable for consumers on a global scale. However, the accessibility of broilers to many in developing countries is insufficient to meet daily protein needs. As such, broiler chicken production markets will increase in the foreseeable future in the Americas due to available corn and soybean meal, and in developing countries where protein consumption falls below consumer needs. Feed represents the highest variable costs in broiler chicken production. Broiler diet balanced protein supply differs among producers geographically which is primarily dependent on soybean meal availability and price. In this review, dietary protein supply in terms of feed grade amino acids is discussed. Moreover, broiler diet formulation matrices on a dynamic versus static template are also discussed. In doing so, efficiency and profitability can be gleaned from optimizing the ingredient and nutrient matrices for the overall business as ingredient nutrient compositions and price vary via equations and models, respectively.

Effects of increasing soybean meal in corn-based diets on the growth performance of late finishing pigs.

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of increasing soybean meal (SBM) levels by replacing feed-grade amino acids (AA) in corn, corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), and corn-wheat midds-based diets on growth performance of late finishing pigs (n = 4,406) raised in commercial facilities. Across all experiments, pens of pigs were blocked by initial bodyweight (BW) and randomly assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments. All diets were formulated to contain 0.70% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys and varying amounts of feed-grade AA. All diets were formulated to meet or exceed minimum essential AA requirement estimates as a ratio to Lys. In Exp. 1, 1,793 pigs (initially 104.9 ± 4.9 kg) were fed corn-based diets and pens of pigs were assigned treatments with increasing SBM from 5% to 20%. Overall, average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (G:F) improved (linear and cubic, P ≤ 0.02) as dietary SBM increased, with the greatest improvement observed as SBM increased from 5% to 8.75% and little improvement thereafter. In Exp. 2, 1,827 pigs (initially 97.9 ± 4.3 kg) were fed diets containing 25% DDGS with SBM levels increasing from 0% to 16%. Overall, feed efficiency marginally improved (linear, P ≤ 0.10) as SBM increased, with the greatest performance observed when diets contained 8% SBM and similar performance thereafter with 12 or 16% dietary SBM. In Exp. 3, 786 pigs (initially 96.7 ± 3.2 kg) were fed diets that contained 30% wheat midds and dietary SBM from 0% to 16%. Final BW of pigs increased (linear, P < 0.05) and overall ADG and G:F improved (linear and cubic, P < 0.05) as SBM increased. The combined results of the three experiments suggest that inclusion of at least 4% to 8% dietary SBM at the expense of feed-grade amino acids in corn-based diets with or without grain coproducts can improve growth performance of late-finishing (greater than 100 kg) pigs.

Effects of lowering dietary protein content without or with increased protein-bound and feed-grade amino acids supply on growth performance, body composition, metabolism, and acute-phase protein of finishing pigs under daily cyclic heat stress.

This study investigated the effects of a low-protein diet with or without an increase in dietary protein and feed-grade amino acids (AAs) on the growth performance, body composition, metabolism, and serum acute-phase proteins of finishing pigs reared in thermoneutrality or cyclic heat stress conditions. A total of 90 gilts (67.7 ± 6.2 kg) were distributed in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (two ambient temperatures and three diets). Ambient temperatures (AT) were thermoneutral (TN, 22 °C for 24 h) and cyclic heat stress (CHS, 12 h to 35 °C and 12 h to 22 °C). The evaluated diets (D) were high crude protein (HP); low CP-free AA-supplemented diets (LPAAs); low CP-free AA-supplemented diets and digestible Lys level (+20%), and Lys:AA ratios above recommendations (LPAA+). The experimental period lasted 48 d (two experimental phases: days 0-27 and days 28-48, respectively). CHS pigs had higher skin temperature (P < 0.05) than TN pigs. Pigs in CHS had higher rectal temperature (P < 0.05) than TN pigs until day 38 but similar (P > 0.10) to TN pigs from 38 to 45 d. For the entire experiment, CHS pigs had lower (P < 0.05) final BW, average daily gain and daily feed intake, net energy intake, body lipid, bone mineral, lipid deposition, energy retention, Lys and CP intake, and nitrogen excretion than TN pigs. The level of CP intake impacted nitrogen excretion, nitrogen retention efficiency, and urea as pigs fed HP had the highest values, and pigs fed LPAA had the lowest values (P < 0.05). On day 27, CHS pigs had lower (P < 0.05) free triiodothyronine than TN pigs. LPAA+ pigs had lower (P < 0.05) insulin than LPAA. On day 48, CHS pigs had lower (P < 0.05) thyroxine, albumin, and lactate than TN pigs. On day 27, pigs fed LPAA+ had higher (P < 0.05) lactate than pigs fed HP or LPAA. Both AT and D were enough to stimulate the immune system as CHS pigs had lower (P < 0.05) transferrin and 23-kDa protein levels than TN pigs, and HP pigs had higher haptoglobin than LPAA on day 27. These results confirm the deleterious effects of high AT on performance, body composition, metabolism, and immune system stimulation in finishing pigs. These data also show that a diet with low levels of CP can be provided to pigs in CHS without affecting performance and body composition while reducing nitrogen excretion. However, the use of a diet with an AA level above the requirements obtained by increasing intact protein and free AA did not attenuate the impact of CHS on performance and body composition of pigs.

Functional properties of amino acids: improve health status and sustainability

The combination of increased genetic potential and changes in management strategies (i.e., antibiotic-free, no antibiotics ever, and every day feeding of replacement pullets) influences the nutritional needs of poultry. Traditionally, nutritionists have focused on meeting the amino acid needs for production performance and yield however, increasing specific amino acid concentrations can benefit gastrointestinal development and integrity, enhance immune response potential, influence behavior, and benefit sustainability. Commercialization of additional feed grade amino acids beyond methionine, lysine, and threonine, enables targeted increases to achieve these benefits. As such, this paper addresses the functional roles of amino acids in meeting poultry production, health, and sustainability goals.

169 The Effect of Increasing Valine, Isoleucine, and Tryptophan:Lysine Ratios on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Pigs Fed Diets with High Leucine:Lysine

Abstract A total of 4,076 pigs (initially 39.3 kg) were used across 2 experiments to evaluate the effect of increasing ratios of Val, Ile, and Trp:Lys in corn-soybean meal-DDGS-based diets on pig growth performance and carcass characteristics. In both experiments, the 4 dietary treatments were: 1) high soybean meal and low feed grade amino acids (control), 2) low soybean meal and high feed grade amino acids, with Val:Lys, Ile:Lys, and Trp:Lys at 67, 55, and 18, respectively, (low ratio) 3) diet 2 except Val:Lys, Ile:Lys, and Trp:Lys increased to 72, 60, and 21, respectively, (medium ratio), and 4) diet 2 except Val:Lys, Ile:Lys, and Trp:Lys at 80, 65, and 23, respectively (high ratio). The Leu:lys levels for the diets with increased synthetic amino acids ranged from 135 to 146 for the 4 phases. All diets contained 30% DDGS until 100 kg BW, and then 20% DDGS until trial completion. Because there was no experiment × treatment interactions, data from both experiments were combined. Overall, ADG and ADFI increased (AA ratio; linear, P &amp;lt; 0.05) as Val, Ile, and Trp:Lys ratios increased from low to high. Pigs fed the control diet exhibited increased ADG compared with pigs fed low ratio diets, while pigs fed medium and high ratio diets performed intermediate. For carcass characteristics, pigs fed the control had increased (P &amp;lt; 0.05) percentage lean and loin depth compared with pigs fed the medium ratio diet, with pigs fed low and high ratio intermediate. Pigs fed the medium ratio diet had increased backfat depth compared with pigs fed the control, with pigs fed the low and high ratio intermediate (P &amp;lt; 0.05). In summary, the soybean meal level can be reduced, and synthetic amino acid levels increased in high DDGS diets as long as ratios of Val, Ile, and Trp to Lys are increased.

156 Effects of Standardized Ileal Digestible Lysine Level on Growth Performance in 35 to 80 Kg DNA Finishing Pigs

Abstract Two studies were conducted to estimate the SID Lys requirement for growth and feed efficiency of 35-80-kg DNA finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 608 pigs (600 × 241, DNA; initially 36.3±0.91kg) were used to estimate the SID Lys requirement from 35-55-kg. In Exp. 2, 700 pigs (DNA 600×241; initial BW of 53.2±0.86kg) were used to estimate the SID Lys requirement form 50-80-kg. Pens of pigs were blocked by BW and randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments with 7-10 pigs/pen in a randomized complete block design with 12 replications per treatment. Diets were corn-soybean meal-based and SID Lys increased by increasing soybean meal and feed-grade amino acids while maintaining minimum ratios for other amino acids. Increasing SID Lys increased (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.05) ADG in both studies. From 50-80-kg, ADFI decreased, then increased (quadratic, P = 0.004) with increasing SID Lys. Feed efficiency improved, while Lys intake/d, and Lys intake/kg of gain increased (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.05, 35-55-kg; quadratic, P &amp;lt; 0.05, 50-80-kg) with increasing SID Lys. At current ingredient and pig prices, there were no statistical differences in income over feed cost (IOFC) from 35-55 kg. From 50-80-kg, increasing SID Lys increased (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.001) IOFC. Linear models resulted in the best fit for ADG, G:F and IOFC from 35-55-kg, with optimum performance at 1.20% SID Lys or greater. A quadratic polynomial model predicted a requirement of 0.97% SID Lys for optimum G:F from 50-80-kg. Meanwhile, a broken-line linear model predicted optimal IOFC at 0.76% SID Lys from 50-80-kg. In summary, these results suggest that the optimal SID Lys level for 35-55-kg DNA finishing pigs is at least 1.20%. The optimal SID Lys level for 50-80-kg DNA finishing pigs depends on the response criteria, with growth performance optimized at or above 0.97% SID Lys and IOFC maximized at 0.76% SID Lys.

157 Effects of Standardized Ileal Digestible Lysine Level on Growth Performance in 75 to 130 Kg DNA Finishing Pigs

Abstract Two studies were conducted to estimate the SID Lys requirement for growth and feed efficiency of 70-130-kg DNA finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 616 pigs (600×241, DNA; initially 76.4±1.25 kg) were used from 70-100-kg and in Exp. 2, 679 pigs (600×241, DNA; initially 103.8±1.32 kg) were used from 100-130 kg. Pens of pigs were blocked by BW and randomly allotted to dietary treatments with 8-10 pigs/pen in a randomized complete block design. Diets were corn-soybean meal based and SID Lys increased by increasing soybean meal and feed-grade amino acids while maintaining minimum ratios for other amino acids. From 70-100 kg, ADG, G:F, Lys intake/d, and Lys intake/kg of gain all increased, (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.05) with increasing SID Lys. From 100-130 kg, ADG, Lys intake/d, and Lys intake/kg of gain increased (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.05) with increasing SID Lys, while G:F increased (quadratic, P = 0.032). At current ingredient and pig prices, there were no statistical differences in income over feed cost (IOFC) from 70-100 kg. From 100-130 kg, increasing SID Lys increased (quadratic, P = 0.001) IOFC. A broken-line linear (BLL) model predicted optimal ADG at 0.83% SID Lys, while a quadratic polynomial (QP) model predicted a requirement of 0.90% for G:F from 75-100 kg. A QP model predicted maximum IOFC at 0.78% SID Lys from 75-100 kg. From 100-130 kg, BLL models predicted optimal ADG and G:F at 0.64 and 0.59% SID Lys, respectively. A QP model predicted maximum IOFC at 0.64% SID Lys. In summary, these results suggest the optimal SID Lys level for 75-100 kg DNA finishing pigs for growth performance is between 0.83 and 0.90% SID Lys, and 0.78% SID Lys for maximum IOFC. The optimal SID Lys level in 100-130 kg DNA finishing pigs depends upon the response criteria, with growth performance and IOFC maximized between 0.59 and 0.64% SID Lys.

The role of feed-grade amino acids in the bioeconomy: Contribution from production activities and use in animal feed

Feed-grade amino acids contribute to the bioeconomy through both their production and use. Amino acids produced using biomass as feedstock are bio-based products and their production contributes to the bioeconomy in terms of value added and employment. The use of amino acids in animal feed allows to increase feed efficiency and thus to reduce the demand for feed. Their use helps to reduce the content of soybean meal in feed formulation, thereby reducing the demand for soybean meal and consequently the total area of arable land required for feed production. This article proposes a methodological approach for data collection as well as for the calculation of the mentioned effects and provides their first quantification. In the EU, the estimated contribution of bio-based amino acids in terms of value added (50 million €) and employment (400 employers) is quite low. Within the product group “feed-grade amino acids”, the share of bio-based amino acids is 15% in the EU and much lower as on the global level (70%). The contribution through the use of amino acids in animal feed is argued to be significant. Our calculation shows that it already helps to avoid the use of millions ha of arable land.

Assessment of limiting dietary amino acids in broiler chickens offered reduced crude protein diets.

As lowering crude protein (CP) in poultry diets continues to minimize amino acid excess, it is important to understand the limiting order of amino acids and the impact of their deficiencies. Therefore, a pair of experiments were conducted to observe the effects of individual amino acid deletions on growth performance, carcass traits, and nutrient utilization. Both experiments involved 3 control diets based on wheat and soybean meal, including a 210.0 g/kg CP industry control (IC), 186.7 g/kg CP positive control (PC) supplemented with feed-grade amino acids to match the IC amino acid profile, 186.7 g/kg CP negative control (NC) with reducing N corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEN) by 0.5 MJ/kg and removing feed-grade amino acids beyond L-Lys-HCl, DL-Met, and L-Thr from PC. Ten deletion diets where the following supplemented amino acids were individually removed from the PC: Val, Ile, Leu, Trp, Arg, His, Phe + Tyr, glycine equivalence (Glyequi), Pro, and Energy (0.5 MJ/kg reduction in AMEN of the PC). All diets were formulated to contain similar concentrations of digestible Lys, total sulfur amino acid (TSAA) and Thr. Experimental diets were offered to broiler chickens from 15 to 22 d post–hatch in a cage study (Exp. 1) to gain digestibility and nutrient utilization data; whereas they were offered from 15 to 35 d post–hatch in a floor-pen study (Exp. 2) to gain performance and carcass yield data. The removal of supplemented Val, Arg, and Ile resulted in reduction on broiler performance (P < 0.05), and the removal of Val, Arg, Ile, and Glyequi negatively influenced carcass traits (P < 0.05). Results from both experiments indicate that Val and Arg are co-limiting in wheat-soybean meal diets, but that Ile and Glyequi may potentially limit breast and thigh development.

Effect of low-protein corn and soybean meal-based diets on nitrogen utilization, litter quality, and water consumption in broiler chicken production: insight from meta-analysis

The growing demand for high-value animal protein must be met using sustainable means that optimize the utilization of nutrients, especially nitrogen (N) so that excreta do not over-fertilize fields and end up causing soil acidification, waterway eutrophication and greenhouse gas emissions. Malodorous N compounds can cause respiratory diseases and poor growth in livestock. The increasing availability of feed-grade amino acids makes it possible to formulate low-protein diets for broilers and thereby reduce N excretion. However, published studies of the effects of such diets on broiler growth performance have been based on reducing CP contents gradually in a variety of ways that have given inconsistent results. Since the amount of published data is now large, a meta-analysis was performed in order to categorize diet formulation strategies and quantify their impact on N balance, water consumption, litter moisture, plasma uric acid. This showed that lowering the CP content of broiler diets generally means replacing some soybean meal with corn and hence increasing the starch content. However, since soybean meal is also a source of potassium, this reduces electrolyte balance. Lowering the CP content from 19% to 17% is associated with a 29% reduction of N excretion in broilers aged 0–21 d, and a 7% increase in N efficiency (N retention/N intake). Reducing the CP content from 19% to 17% decreases daily water consumption by 20.6 mL/bird, litter moisture by 2.2% and plasma uric acid by 0.56 mg/dL. This meta-analysis improves our understanding of the low-protein strategy and allows us to quantify its impact on N balance, litter quality and uric acid. It shows that managing N excretion is wholly beneficial and reduces litter wetness.

Precision intestinal nutrition: knowledge and gaps regarding the role of amino acids during an enteric challenge

Poultry nutritionists continually strive for more “precision” nutritional programs that provide the exact balance of nutrients that maximize broiler growth performance without economically and environmentally costly excesses. Many factors affect the precise amount and balance of nutrients needed by the broiler, including genetics, age, sex, and environment. Furthermore, broilers in intensive rearing environments will almost always be subjected to some degree of enteric stress that can alter nutrient needs. Exposure to enteric pathogens such as Eimeria spp., the intestinal parasites that cause avian coccidiosis, induces physical damage to the intestinal epithelium and activates immune responses, ultimately resulting in the repartitioning of amino acids (AA) in response to these prioritized demands. Even without any pathogenic challenge, the intestine has an already high demand for many AA, with 30 to 100% of dietary AA extracted during first pass intestinal metabolism. In many cases, increasing dietary protein from intact proteins has been shown to be a viable option to ameliorate impaired AA digestion and absorption and heightened need for certain AA of birds under an enteric stress. However, increasing dietary protein often results in concomitant increases in indigestible protein and carbohydrates that can stimulate the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria (i.e., Clostridium perfringens). Alternative options to increase dietary AA levels are to increase all feed-grade, free AA (e.g., Met, Lys, Thr, Val), or specific individual feed-grade AA. Therefore, the objectives of this paper are to discuss precision nutrition, the dietary AA demands of the intestine, consequences of coccidiosis on AA needs of the intestine, and formulation approaches to meet these altered needs. In summary, increased dietary protein met by intact proteins has consistently demonstrated its benefits during an Eimeria spp. infection; however, to further the goal of precision nutritional programs, feeding higher levels of a specific AA to support desired functions such as intestinal recovery or immune function for birds experiencing an enteric stress still require further evaluation.

Amino Acid Supplementation to Reduce Environmental Impacts of Broiler and Pig Production: A Review.

Poultry and swine farming are large contributors to environmental impacts, such as climate change, eutrophication, acidification, and air and water pollution. Feed production and manure management are identified as the main sources of these impacts. Reducing dietary crude protein levels is a nutritional strategy recognized to both decrease the use of high-impact feed ingredients and alter manure composition, reducing emissions of harmful components. For a successful implementation of this technique, feed-grade amino acid supplementation is crucial to maintaining animal performance. Reducing crude protein lowers nitrogen excretion, especially excess nitrogen excreted in urea or uric acid form, improving nitrogen efficiency. At the feed-gate, low–crude protein diets can reduce the carbon footprint of feed production through changes in raw material inclusion. The magnitude of this reduction mainly depends on the climate change impact of soybean meal and its land-use change on the feed-grade amino acids used. Reducing dietary crude protein also lowers the environmental impact of manure management in housing, storage, and at spreading: nitrogen emissions from manure (ammonia, nitrates, nitrous oxide) are reduced through reduction of nitrogen excretion. Moreover, synergetic effects exist with nitrogen form, water excretion, and manure pH, further reducing emissions. Volatilization of nitrogen is more reduced in poultry than in pigs, but emissions are more studied and better understood for pig slurry than poultry litter. Ammonia emissions are also more documented than other N-compounds. Low–crude protein diets supplemented with amino acids is a strategy reducing environmental impact at different stages of animal production, making life cycle assessment the best-suited tool to quantify reduction of environmental impacts. Recent studies report an efficient reduction of environmental impacts with low–crude protein diets. However, more standardization of limits and methods used is necessary to compare results. This review summarizes the current knowledge on mitigation of environmental impacts with low–crude protein diets supplemented with amino acids in poultry and swine, its quantification, and the biological mechanisms involved. A comparison between pigs and poultry is also included. It provides concrete information based on quantified research for decision making for the livestock industry and policy makers.

Starch extracted from pineapple (Ananas comosus) plant stem as a source for amino acids production

BackgroundPineapple plant (Ananas comosus) is one of the largest productions in Asia and its increasing production has generated a huge amount of pineapple wastes. Pineapple plant stem is made up of high concentration of starch which can potentially be converted into value-added products, including amino acids. Due to the increasing demand in animal feed grade amino acids, especially for methionine and lysine, the utilisation of cheap and renewable source is deemed to be an essential approach. This study aimed to produce amino acids from pineapple plant stem hydrolysates through microbial fermentation by Pediococcus acidilactici Kp10. Dextrozyme was used for hydrolysis of starch and Celluclast 1.5 L for saccharification of cellulosic materials in pineapple plant stem.ResultsThe hydrolysates obtained were used in the fermentation to produce methionine and lysine. Pineapple plant stem showed high starch content of 77.78%. Lignocellulosic composition of pineapple plant stem consisted of 46.15% hemicellulose, 31.86% cellulose, and 18.60% lignin. Saccharification of alkaline-treated pineapple plant stem gave lower reducing sugars of 13.28 g/L as compared to untreated, where 18.56 g/L reducing sugars obtained. Therefore, the untreated pineapple plant stem was selected for further process. Starch hydrolysis produced 57.57 g/L reducing sugar (100% hydrolysis yield) and saccharification of cellulosic materials produced 24.67 g/L reducing sugars (56.93% hydrolysis yield). The starch-based and cellulosic-based of pineapple plant stem were subjected as carbon source in methionine and lysine production by P. acidilactici Kp10.ConclusionsIn conclusion, higher methionine and lysine production were produced from starch-based hydrolysis (40.25 mg/L and 0.97 g/L, respectively) as compared to cellulosic-based saccharification (37.31 mg/L and 0.84 g/L, respectively) of pineapple plant stem.Graphical

PSIV-14 Influence of Feed Grade Amino Acid Inclusion Level in Late Nursery and Grower Diets Fed to Pigs from 10 to 35 Kg

Abstract A total of 912 pigs (PIC TR4 × (Fast LW × PIC L02)) were used in a 43-d trial to evaluate the influence of feed grade amino acid levels in late nursery and grower diets containing 30% dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) on growth performance. Pigs were randomly assigned to pens (19 pigs per pen) and pens were randomly allotted in weight blocks to 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 12 pens per treatment. Treatment diets were fed in 2 phases from 10 to 19.5 kg and 19.5 to 35 kg with digestible lysine at 1.31 and 1.15%, respectively). Predetermined orthogonal contrasts were used to evaluate linear or quadratic effects based on percentage of digestible lysine from intact protein versus feed grade lysine. Dietary treatments contained low, medium, high, or very high levels of feed grade amino acids with L-lysine added at 0.25, 0.40, 0.55, and 0.70% of the diet, respectively, with all other amino acids added as needed to meet minimum ratios relative to lysine (60% Ile; 58% Met and Cys; 65% Thr; 19% Trp; 72% Val). Overall, from d 0 to 43, there was an increase (quadratic, P&amp;lt; 0.020) in average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) with pigs fed increasing levels of feed grade amino acids having the greatest gain and feed intake at the medium and high inclusion of feed grade amino acids, respectively. For overall gain:feed (G:F), pigs fed the medium level of feed grade amino acids had improved G:F (P=0.002) compared to pigs fed the high and very high feed grade amino acids with the pigs fed the low feed grade amino acids intermediate. In summary, feeding pigs medium levels of feed grade amino acids resulted in increased ADG and G:F during the late nursery and grower period.