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This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jas.2007-0834v1 87/3/965    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Beaulieu, A. D. Articles by Patience, J. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Beaulieu, A. D. Articles by Patience, J. F.

Response to dietary digestible energy concentration in growing pigs fed cereal-grain based diets

A. D. Beaulieu^*, N. H. Williams and J. F. Patience^*

^* Prairie Swine Centre Inc., Saskatoon, SK S7H 5N9, Canada PIC USA Inc., Hendersonville, TN 37075-2732

jfp{at}iastate.edu

Abstract

Understanding how energy is utilized by the pig, and how the pig responds to changes in dietary energy concentration, is essential information in determining the optimum concentration of dietary energy under farm conditions that are often highly diverse. The objective of these experiments was to determine how changes in dietary DE concentration, achieved through graded changes in diet composition, affect performance and carcass composition in growing pigs. In Exp. 1, conducted in a research facility, 300 pigs (31.1 ± 2.6 kg) were assigned to diets containing 3.09, 3.24, 3.34, 3.42, or 3.57 Mcal DE/kg. Experiment 2, which was conducted at a commercial swine farm, involved 720 pigs (36.8 ± 5.9 kg) assigned to diets containing 3.12, 3.30, or 3.43 Mcal DE/kg. Increased DE concentration was attained by using more wheat, soybean meal, and fat and less barley; true ileal lysine was adjusted as DE increased, and minimum AA:lysine ratios were maintained. In Exp. 1, ADG improved linearly as the energy content of the diet increased (P = 0.03). Feed intake decreased (P < 0.001) and feed efficiency and daily caloric intake improved (P = 0.005) with increased DE content. The variability in growth was not affected by treatment. Carcass index and LM thickness were not affected by increasing dietary DE content; backfat thickness, however, was increased (P < 0.001). In Exp. 2, overall ADG was unaffected by dietary energy content although an improvement in growth was observed until the pigs reached about 80 kg BW. Overall feed intake decreased with increased energy content (P = 0.01) although this was not observed during the initial 6 wk of the experiment. Carcass index, lean yield, and backfat were not affected by increasing dietary energy content, while LM thickness tended to increase (P = 0.08). Value per pig was unaffected by increasing dietary energy content in both experiments and returns over feed costs were reduced. Increasing the energy density of the diet for growing pigs through incremental changes in dietary composition had a variable impact on overall growth performance and carcass quality. Increasing dietary DE had no effect on variation in BW at the time of marketing.

Key Words: canola oil • dietary energy • digestible energy • swine • tallow