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Self-Selection by Growing Pigs of Diets Differing in Lysine Content

Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Station de Recherches Porcines, Centre de Rennes-St Gilles F-35590 l'Hermitage, France¹

Abstract

Two 42-d experiments were conducted with 60 and 100 Large White growing pigs, initially weighing 17.7 and 18.3 kg, respectively, to determine their ability to select between diets varying in lysine content. Dietary lysine levels ranged from .60 to 1.40%. A common basal diet (17% crude protein, 3.3 Mcal digestible energy/kg) based on corn, soybean meal and peanut meal was used in both experiments. When offered a choice between deficient (.60% lysine) and balanced (.85% lysine) diets, the pigs consumed a higher proportion of the balanced diet. However, they did not discriminate between diets deficient in lysine (.60%) or containing excess lysine (1.16 or 1.40%). There were differences in diet preference over time. Pigs offered the deficient diet (.60%) and balanced diet (.85% lysine) progressively chose a higher proportion of the balanced diet as the trial progressed, but pigs offered a marginally deficient diet (.72% lysine) and a diet with excess lysine (1.21%) consumed a higher proportion of the high lysine diet during the first 3 wk of the experiment, but not during the last 2 wk of the experiment. These differences could be explained by the fact that the preference for a higher lysine diet at a given age depends on its proximity to the optimal level for growth, but also on the range between self-selected lysine concentrations. In the treatments comparing the balanced diet (.85% lysine) and deficient diet (.60% lysine), consumption (%) of the balanced diet was correlated (P<.01) with average daily gain over 42 d of experiment, and differences in daily lysine intake accounted for more of the variation in weight gain over the total trial than differences in feed or energy intake. In contrast, when pigs were allowed to select between diets deficient in lysine (.60%) or containing excess lysine (1.21 or 1.40%). total feed intake was the primary factor that accounted for individual variation in weight gain.

¹ The technical assistance of G. Conseil, M. Lemarié, J. C. Rissel, M. Dagorne and H. Demay for conducting the experiment and taking care of the animals and of Nadine Mézière and Y. Colléaux for laboratory analyses is gratefully acknowledged.

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