The requirements of digestible sulphurous aminoacids for swine barrows maintained in a thermoneutral environment from 15 to 30kg were estimated. Seventy crossbred barrows were allotted to a completely randomized block design with five treatments (0.465; 0.511; 0.558; 0.605; 0.652% of digestible methionine+cystine), seven replicates and two animals by replicate. The experimental diets and the water were supplied ad libitum. The inside room temperature was maintained in 21.8±0.4ºC and the relative humidity in 73.8±4.9%. The digestible methionine and cystine levels of the diet had a quadratic effect on average daily gain that increased until the level of 0.596% and the feed:gain ratio that reduced quadraticaly until the level of 0.627%. No effect of digestible aminoacid on feed intake was observed. The treatments affected protein deposition in the carcass that increased quadraticaly until the level of 0.630%, but had no effect on fat deposition. The digestible sulphurous aminoacids requirement for barrows maintained in a thermoneutral environment from 15 to 30kg was 0.63%, which corresponds to digestible methionine and cystine:digestible lysine ratio of 67%, respectively, for highest performance and gain composition.
barrow; initial growing phase; methionine + cystine; thermoneutrality; requirement
