Optimal Threonine:Lysine Ratio for Growing Pigs of Different Sexes

Chang, W. H.; Lee, J. H.; Heo, K. N.; Paik, I. K.; Han, In K.

doi:2000.13.12.1731

Article

Swine Nutrition and Feed Technology

Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 2000;13(12): 1731-1737.
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2000.1731 Published online December 1, 2000.

Optimal Threonine:Lysine Ratio for Growing Pigs of Different Sexes

W. H. Chang, J. H. Lee, K. N. Heo, I. K. Paik, In K. Han

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of threonine:lysine ratios on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration, and to estimate the optimal threonine:lysine ratios for growing barrows and gilts. A total of 150 pigs (Landrace횞Yorkshire횞Duroc, 16.75 0.42 kg average body weight, 75 barrows and 75 gilts) was randomly allotted into six treatments in a 2횞3 factorial design. Six diets were formulated to contain 1.12% lysine for barrows and 1.33% lysine for gilts with three threonine:lysine ratios (50, 60 and 70%) for both barrows and gilts. Throughout the whole experimental period (16 to 56 kg body weight), there was no interaction between sex and dietary threonine:lysine ratio in average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion rate (FCR). Between sexes, there was a clear sex-effect showing better growth performance of barrows. Barrows consumed more feed (p<0.01) and grew faster (p<0.01) than gilts. For barrows, there was a trend to improved ADG and FCR with increasing threonine:lysine ratio. For gilts, there was a trend to improved ADG and FCR up to threonine:lysine ratio of 60%, but not significant. There was no interaction between sex and threonine:lysine ratio in nutrient digestibilities of growing pigs except for crude ash (CA). Between sexes, there were differences in nutrient digestibilities, except for calcium for which gilts showed higher a digestibility (p<0.01). Among dietary threonine:lysine ratios, there were no differences in nutrient digestibilities. Mean values of essential amino acids (EAA), non-essential amino acids (NEAA) and total amino acids (TAA) digestibilities were not affected by sex and dietary threonine:lysine ratio. There was no evidence of an interaction between sexes and dietary threonine:lysine ratio. Between sexes, total BUN concentration was lower in gilts than barrows (p<0.05). It was concluded that a 70 and 60% dietary threonine:lysine ratio for barrows (1.12% lysine) and gilts (1.33% lysine) tended to result in better growth performances and nutrient utilization and lower BUN concentration than other threonine:lysine ratios.

Keywords: Sexes; BUN; Growing Pig; Growth Performance; Amino Acid Digestibility; Threonine:Lysine Ratio