Effect of dietary leucine level on growth performance, and carcass and meat quality in finishing pigs

Abstract

The effect of feeding corn-soybean meal-based diets with two levels of supplemental leucine (0 vs. 2%) on growth, carcass, and pork quality characteristics was evaluated in 40 individually fed finishing pigs over a 39-d feeding period (78.4 ± 3.46 to 114.8 ± 7.30 kg liveweight). Supplemental dietary leucine reduced weight gain (8.7%; P < 0.05), but had no effect (P > 0.05) on feed intake or gain:feed ratio. Feeding diets with 2% supplemental leucine increased (P < 0.05) longissimus fat content and marbling scores in both barrows and gilts.