Determination of Optimal Dietary Sulfur Amino Acids Ratio Relative to Lysine for Growing Barrows and Gilts

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary SAA (sulfur-containing amino acids) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) content, and to determine the optimal SAA:lysine ratio for growing barrows and gilts. A total of 150 pigs (75 barrows and 75 gilts, LandracexYorkshirexDuroc) were assigned to 6 treatments with 5 replicates of 5 pigs per pen. All pigs were fed diets containing either 1.12 (for barrows) or 1.33% (for gilts) dietary lysine with increasing SAA levels (50, 55 and 60% of dietary lysine) in a 2 × 3 factorial design. Throughout the whole experimental period (15 to 54 kg body weight), there was no interaction between sexes and SAA:lysine ratios on ADG, ADFI and FCR. However, increasing the SAA:lysine ratio from 50 to 60% in a diet showed a trend to increase ADG and ADFI of barrows. None of differences in nutrient digestibilities except for calcium and phosphorus were observed and gilts showed higher digestibility of calcium and phosphorus (p<0.05). Among dietary SAA:lysine ratios, there were no differences in apparent nutrient digestibility. Mean values of the essential amino acids (EAA), non-essential amino acids (NEAA) and total amino acids (TAA) digestibilities were higher in gilts than barrows (p<0.01). However, no differences in mean value of EAA, NEAA and TAA digestibilities were observed among dietary SAA:lysine ratios. Between sexes and among SAA:lysine ratios, no significant difference in BUN concentration was observed. This study demonstrated that the optimal inclusion ratio of SAA:lysine was 55% and below 50% in barrows and gilts, respectively.