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Dietary net energy plans for barrows from 25 to 100 kg body weight

ABSTRACT

This experiment was conducted to evaluate growth performance and carcass characteristics of barrows from 25 to 100 kg fed diets with different dietary net energy (NE) levels. Seventy-two barrows with initial body weight (BW) of 25.19±2.13 kg were allotted using a completely randomized block design to one of six dietary NE treatments (2300, 2380, 2460, 2540, 2620, and 2700 kcal kg−1), which had two pigs per replicate and six replicates per treatment. Diets were formulated to be fed in three phases (25 to 60, 60 to 70, and 70 to 100 kg BW). The six different dietary NE densities were met by adding soybean oil in place of the inert ingredient (kaolin) to a corn-soybean meal-based diet. Increasing dietary NE decreased average daily feed intake and average daily standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine intake in all of the three phases evaluated and improved the feed:gain ratio and SID lysine:gain ratio in the first and third phases. In the first and second phases, average daily NE intake and NE:gain ratio were similar among treatments, but NE increased and NE:gain worsened during the last phase as dietary NE increased. Average daily gain was not affected by dietary NE in the first and second phases; however, it improved in the last phase. Backfat was thicker, and lean percentage was reduced by increasing the dietary NE in all three phases of this study. Thus, barrows consume less feed, but carcass fat increases if dietary NE is increased from 2300 to 2700 kcal kg−1.

Key Words:
carcass quality; fat; feed intake; swine; vegetable oil

Introduction

Energy supply constitutes the largest portion of feed cost in swine diets because of the larger quantities of energy sources that need to be added to diets to meet energy demands. Moreover, pigs adjust their voluntary feed intake based on the energy density of the diet (Nyachoti et al., 2004Nyachoti, C. M.; Zijlstra, R. T.; de Lange, C. F. M. and Patience, J. F. 2004. Voluntary feed intake in growing-finishing pigs: A review of the main determining factors and potential approaches for accurate predictions. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 84:549-566. https://doi.org/10.4141/A04-001
https://doi.org/10.4141/A04-001...
; Quiniou and Noblet, 2012Quiniou, N. and Noblet, J. 2012. Effect of the dietary net energy concentration on feed intake and performance of growing-finishing pigs housed individually. Journal of Animal Science 90:4362-4372. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-4004
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-4004...
). Increasing dietary net energy (NE) often improves the feed:gain ratio (F:G) (Nitikanchana et al., 2015Nitikanchana, S.; Dritz, S. S.; Tokach, M. D.; DeRouchey, J.; Goodband, R. D. and White, B. J. 2015. Regression analysis to predict growth performance from dietary net energy in growing-finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 93:2826-2839. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-9005
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-9005...
). This improvement in F:G results from either decreased average daily feed intake (ADFI) as dietary energy density increases, or from an increase in the average daily gain (ADG) in response to the higher energy concentration (Beaulieu et al., 2009Beaulieu, A. D.; Williams, N. H. and Patience, J. F. 2009. Response to dietary digestible energy concentration in growing pigs fed cereal grain-based diets. Journal of Animal Science 87:965-976. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2007-0834
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2007-0834...
; Quiniou and Noblet, 2012Quiniou, N. and Noblet, J. 2012. Effect of the dietary net energy concentration on feed intake and performance of growing-finishing pigs housed individually. Journal of Animal Science 90:4362-4372. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-4004
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-4004...
; Gonçalves et al., 2015Gonçalves, L. M. P.; Kiefer, C.; Souza, K. M. R.; Marçal, D. M.; Abreu, R. C.; Silva, A. M. P. S. and Alencar, S. A. S. 2015. Níveis de energia líquida para suínos machos castrados em terminação. Ciência Rural 45:464-469. https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20131573
https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20131...
).

The NE system is more accurate than the digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) systems, because the NE system corrects for energy lost as heat during digestion and nutrient metabolism (Kil et al., 2013Kil, D. Y.; Kim, B. G. and Stein, H. H. 2013. Invited review - Feed energy evaluation for growing pigs. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science 26:1205-1217. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2013.r.02
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2013.r.02...
). Using NE values for diet formulation ensures that the nutritional needs of pigs are achieved with greater accuracy, because in the NE system, diet energy values and energy requirements are similarly expressed (Noblet, 2007Noblet, J. 2007. Net energy evaluation of feeds and determination of net energy requirements for pigs. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 36:277-284. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-35982007001000025
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-3598200700...
).

However, no experiments have been conducted to evaluate the effects on pigs fed fixed dietary NE concentrations for long periods, for example, from 25 to 100 kg BW. Because dietary energy supply is critical to swine nutrition, the objective of this study was to evaluate growth performance and carcass characteristics of barrows, from 25 to 100 kg BW, fed different dietary NE levels.

Material and Methods

Research on animals was conducted according to the guidelines of the institutional committee on animal use (UFMS 552/2013). The study was conducted in Terenos, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (20°26′49″ S and 54°50′37″ W).

Pigs were housed in a curtain-sided barn with a solid concrete floor and ceramic roof. Each pen (1.15 × 2.86 m) was equipped with a single-hole dry self-feeder and a nipple drinker for ad libitum access to feed and water. There was a gutter (1.15 × 0.30 × 0.10 m) crossing the bottom of the pens that was emptied and filled with fresh water once a day.

A total of 72 genetically homogenous barrows originating from industrial crosses, with average initial body weight (BW) of 25.19±2.13 kg were used in a 75-day trial. Pigs were allotted to one of six dietary treatments, based on initial BW, using a completely randomized block design. Each treatment was replicated six times with two pigs per replicate. Dietary treatments included six dietary NE levels (2300, 2380, 2460, 2540, 2620, and 2700 kcal kg−1).

Experimental diets (Table 1) were offered in meal form and formulated to be given in three growth phases (25 to 60, 60 to 70, and 70 to 100 kg) according to the Brazilian Tables for Poultry and Swine (Rostagno et al., 2011Rostagno, H. S.; Albino, L. F. T.; Gomes, P. C.; Oliveira, R. F.; Lopes, D. C.; Ferreira, A. S.; Barreto, S. L. T. and Euclides, R. F. 2011. Brazilian tables for poultry and swine: Composition of feedstuffs and nutritional requirements. 3rd ed. UFV/DZO, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.). For each phase, a basal diet was formulated with 2300 kcal kg−1 of NE. Then, to increase the dietary NE level by 80 kcal kg−1 (the sequential increase between treatments), 10.86 kg of soybean oil was added in place of the inert ingredient (kaolin) per 1000 kg of diet. In each phase, the same inclusion of macro- and microelements were provided in all experimental diets.

Table 1
Composition of basal diets (as fed)

Pigs were weighed individually at the beginning and the end of each phase, and feed disappearance was recorded daily. The ADG, ADFI, and F:G were determined from these measurements. Net energy intake and standardized ileal digestible lysine (SID Lys) intake were determined by multiplying the total feed intake by the NE or SID Lys content of each diet and dividing by the number of days in each phase. Net energy:gain ratio (NE:G) and SID Lys:gain ratio (SID Lys:G) were determined by dividing the total NE intake or total SID Lys intake by the weight gain in each phase.

At the end of each phase, in vivo ultrasonography (Aloka SSD500 Micrus Ultrasound, Aloka Co. Ltd, Wellingtongford, CT) measurements of the loin muscle area (LMA), backfat (BF), and loin depth (LD) were taken between the last thoracic and the first lumbar vertebrae. Images from the ultrasonography were analyzed using the software LINCE® (M&S Consultoria Agropecuária Ltda.). Lean percentage was determined using the equation: lean(%)=60(backfat×0.58)+muscle depth×0.10, described in Bridi and Silva (2007)Bridi, A. M. and Silva, C. A. 2007. Métodos de avaliação da carcaça e da carne suína. Midiograf, Londrina..

Data were analyzed using a completely randomized block design using PROC GLM of SAS (Statistical Analysis System, University version). Pen was the experimental unit for all data analysis. An analysis of variance was used first, followed by linear and quadratic regression analysis to evaluate the effects of the dietary NE level. Significance was set at P<0.05.

Results

Overall (25 to 100 kg), as dietary NE increased, ADG increased linearly (P<0.05) and ADFI and SID Lys intake decreased linearly (P<0.05) (Table 2). No effects (P>0.05) of dietary NE were observed on NE intake and NE:G, but SID Lys:G ratio improved linearly (P<0.05) as dietary NE increased.

Table 2
Dietary net energy (NE) effects on growth performance of barrows from 25 to 100 kg body weight (BW)

In the first phase (25 to 60 kg), there were no effects (P>0.05) of dietary NE levels on final BW and ADG. However, increasing the dietary NE linearly decreased (P<0.05) ADFI and improved (P<0.05) F:G. Daily NE intake was not affected (P>0.05) by increasing dietary NE density, although SID Lys intake decreased (P<0.05) linearly. There were no significant effects (P>0.05) of dietary NE on NE:G, but SID Lys:G was linearly improved (P<0.05) by increasing dietary NE. During the first phase, increasing dietary NE density linearly increased (P<0.05) BF and linearly decreased (P<0.05) lean percentage (Table 3). There were no effects (P>0.05) of diets on LD and LMA.

Table 3
Dietary net energy (NE) effects on carcass characteristics of barrows from 25 to 100 kg body weight

In the second phase (60 to 70 kg), there were no effects (P>0.05) of dietary NE on BW, ADG, and F:G. As dietary NE level increased, ADFI decreased (P<0.05) linearly. Similar (P>0.05) NE intake was observed among treatments, but a linear reduction (P<0.05) in SID Lys intake relative to increasing NE density was noted. In this phase, increasing dietary NE did not affect (P>0.05) NE:G or SID Lys:G. At the end of the second phase, increasing dietary NE linearly increased (P<0.05) BF and LMA, but decreased (P<0.05) the lean percentage. No effects (P>0.05) of dietary NE on LD were observed.

During the last phase (70 to 100 kg), increasing dietary NE linearly increased (P<0.05) BW and ADG, reduced (P<0.05) ADFI, and improved (P<0.05) F:G. Diets with increased NE levels linearly increased (P<0.05) NE intake and decreased (P<0.05) SID Lys intake. Linear improvements (P<0.05) in NE:G and SID Lys:G were observed with increased dietary NE.

Discussion

Pigs are able to adjust their voluntary ADFI over a wide range of dietary energy concentrations to meet their energy requirements (Ellis and Augspurger, 2001Ellis, M. and Augspurger, N. 2001. Feed intake in growing-finishing pigs. p.447-467. In: Swine nutrition. Lewis, A. J. and Southern, L. L., eds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.). This feeding behavior was confirmed in the first and second phases (25 to 70 kg), in which ADFI decreased while NE intake was similar among treatments. A linear decrease in ADFI was also reported by Quiniou and Noblet (2012)Quiniou, N. and Noblet, J. 2012. Effect of the dietary net energy concentration on feed intake and performance of growing-finishing pigs housed individually. Journal of Animal Science 90:4362-4372. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-4004
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-4004...
when growing-finishing barrows were fed diets varying from 1935 to 2651 kcal NE kg−1. They observed that the lowest NE levels had a poorer NE intake, but there were no differences in NE intake above 2221 kcal NE kg−1. In our study, the lowest NE level was 2300 kcal kg−1.

Although we observed a reduction in SID Lys intake as dietary NE increased, there were no negative effects on ADG in the first and second phases (25 to 70 kg). Research has documented increases in ADG as a result of increasing dietary energy concentration (Zhang et al., 2011Zhang, G. J.; Yi, X. W.; Chu, L. C.; Ning, L. U.; Htoo, J. and Qiao, S. Y. 2011. Effects of dietary net energy density and standardized ileal digestible lysine: net energy ratio on the performance and carcass characteristic of growing-finishing pigs fed low crude protein supplemented with crystalline amino acids diets. Agricultural Sciences in China 10:602-610. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1671-2927(11)60042-4
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1671-2927(11)60...
; Nitikanchana et al., 2015Nitikanchana, S.; Dritz, S. S.; Tokach, M. D.; DeRouchey, J.; Goodband, R. D. and White, B. J. 2015. Regression analysis to predict growth performance from dietary net energy in growing-finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 93:2826-2839. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-9005
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-9005...
).

The positive response observed in ADG in the last phase, from 70 to 100 kg, probably was an effect of the greater NE intake as dietary NE increased. Low energy diets can negatively affect pig growth performance (Smith et al., 1999Smith, J. W.; Tokach, M. D.; O'Quinn, P. R.; Nelssen, J. L. and Goodband, R. D. 1999. Effects of dietary energy density and lysine: calorie ratio on growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 77:3007-3015.). To consume the same amount of NE available from diets with higher NE densities, pigs feeding diets with lower NE densities would have to increase their feed intake, which would result in a rise in the heat increment of the diets (Noblet and van Milgen, 2013Noblet, J. and Van Milgen, J. 2013. Energy and energy metabolism in swine. p.27-57. In: Sustainable swine nutrition. Chiba, L. I., ed. Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford, UK.).

Although no difference was observed in NE intake in the first and second phases, there was an increase in BF as a result of feeding pigs with increased dietary NE. This might be due to the use of soybean oil to increase the energy level of the diets. Lipids are energy sources with lower heat increment than those of carbohydrates. As intake of SID Lys and other aminoacids decreased with the poorer ADFI as a result of increase in dietary NE, the excess energy consumed was directed toward fat deposition.

The greater NE intake in the last phase resulted in fatter carcasses in pigs fed the diets with the highest NE levels. This result agrees with the findings of Beaulieu et al. (2009)Beaulieu, A. D.; Williams, N. H. and Patience, J. F. 2009. Response to dietary digestible energy concentration in growing pigs fed cereal grain-based diets. Journal of Animal Science 87:965-976. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2007-0834
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2007-0834...
, who also observed thicker BF as a result of increasing dietary DE from 30 to 115 kg in diets given to pigs.

The increased ADG in the last phase is likely because of the greater amount of fat deposited in the carcass as dietary NE increased. Finishing pigs show low lean accretion and increased carcass fat deposition (Kil et al., 2013Kil, D. Y.; Kim, B. G. and Stein, H. H. 2013. Invited review - Feed energy evaluation for growing pigs. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science 26:1205-1217. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2013.r.02
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2013.r.02...
). Moreover, digestibility of energy is improved as pigs grow (Noblet and van Milgen, 2004Noblet, J. and van Milgen. J. 2004. Energy value of pig feeds: effect of pig body weight and energy evaluation system. Journal of Animal Science 82(E-Suppl):229-238.).

As ADG and NE intake were similar among treatments in phases 1 and 2, NE:G was not affected in these phases. In the last phase, pigs consumed less energy per unit of weight gain. This result confirms that finishing pigs are more efficient in depositing fat than growing pigs (Apple et al., 2009Apple, J. K.; Maxwell, C. V.; Galloway, D. L.; Hamilton, C. R. and Yancey, J. W. S. 2009. Interactive effects of dietary fat source and slaughter weight in growing-finishing swine: III. Carcass and fatty acid compositions. Journal of Animal Science 87:1441-1454. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2008-1455
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2008-1455...
; Kil et al., 2013Kil, D. Y.; Kim, B. G. and Stein, H. H. 2013. Invited review - Feed energy evaluation for growing pigs. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science 26:1205-1217. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2013.r.02
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2013.r.02...
).

Increasing dietary energy density without maintaining SID Lys:NE ratio improved the F:G ratio, but impaired carcass quality by increasing fat deposition. On the other hand, pigs fed low NE diets had leaner carcasses, but showed lower F:G ratios. Therefore, low NE diets may be a preferable alternative as energy is an expensive nutritional component.

Conclusions

Barrows from 25 to 100 kg BW consume less feed if dietary net energy is increased from 2300 to 2700 kcal kg−1 without impairments in growth performance, but with increase in carcass fat.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT), for the doctoral scholarship, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), for the sandwich scholarship granted to the first author, and Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), for the financial support for publication.

References

  • Apple, J. K.; Maxwell, C. V.; Galloway, D. L.; Hamilton, C. R. and Yancey, J. W. S. 2009. Interactive effects of dietary fat source and slaughter weight in growing-finishing swine: III. Carcass and fatty acid compositions. Journal of Animal Science 87:1441-1454. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2008-1455
    » https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2008-1455
  • Beaulieu, A. D.; Williams, N. H. and Patience, J. F. 2009. Response to dietary digestible energy concentration in growing pigs fed cereal grain-based diets. Journal of Animal Science 87:965-976. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2007-0834
    » https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2007-0834
  • Bridi, A. M. and Silva, C. A. 2007. Métodos de avaliação da carcaça e da carne suína. Midiograf, Londrina.
  • Ellis, M. and Augspurger, N. 2001. Feed intake in growing-finishing pigs. p.447-467. In: Swine nutrition. Lewis, A. J. and Southern, L. L., eds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
  • Gonçalves, L. M. P.; Kiefer, C.; Souza, K. M. R.; Marçal, D. M.; Abreu, R. C.; Silva, A. M. P. S. and Alencar, S. A. S. 2015. Níveis de energia líquida para suínos machos castrados em terminação. Ciência Rural 45:464-469. https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20131573
    » https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20131573
  • Kil, D. Y.; Kim, B. G. and Stein, H. H. 2013. Invited review - Feed energy evaluation for growing pigs. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science 26:1205-1217. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2013.r.02
    » https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2013.r.02
  • Nitikanchana, S.; Dritz, S. S.; Tokach, M. D.; DeRouchey, J.; Goodband, R. D. and White, B. J. 2015. Regression analysis to predict growth performance from dietary net energy in growing-finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 93:2826-2839. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-9005
    » https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-9005
  • Noblet, J. 2007. Net energy evaluation of feeds and determination of net energy requirements for pigs. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 36:277-284. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-35982007001000025
    » https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-35982007001000025
  • Noblet, J. and Van Milgen, J. 2013. Energy and energy metabolism in swine. p.27-57. In: Sustainable swine nutrition. Chiba, L. I., ed. Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford, UK.
  • Noblet, J. and van Milgen. J. 2004. Energy value of pig feeds: effect of pig body weight and energy evaluation system. Journal of Animal Science 82(E-Suppl):229-238.
  • Nyachoti, C. M.; Zijlstra, R. T.; de Lange, C. F. M. and Patience, J. F. 2004. Voluntary feed intake in growing-finishing pigs: A review of the main determining factors and potential approaches for accurate predictions. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 84:549-566. https://doi.org/10.4141/A04-001
    » https://doi.org/10.4141/A04-001
  • Quiniou, N. and Noblet, J. 2012. Effect of the dietary net energy concentration on feed intake and performance of growing-finishing pigs housed individually. Journal of Animal Science 90:4362-4372. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-4004
    » https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-4004
  • Rostagno, H. S.; Albino, L. F. T.; Gomes, P. C.; Oliveira, R. F.; Lopes, D. C.; Ferreira, A. S.; Barreto, S. L. T. and Euclides, R. F. 2011. Brazilian tables for poultry and swine: Composition of feedstuffs and nutritional requirements. 3rd ed. UFV/DZO, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
  • Smith, J. W.; Tokach, M. D.; O'Quinn, P. R.; Nelssen, J. L. and Goodband, R. D. 1999. Effects of dietary energy density and lysine: calorie ratio on growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 77:3007-3015.
  • Zhang, G. J.; Yi, X. W.; Chu, L. C.; Ning, L. U.; Htoo, J. and Qiao, S. Y. 2011. Effects of dietary net energy density and standardized ileal digestible lysine: net energy ratio on the performance and carcass characteristic of growing-finishing pigs fed low crude protein supplemented with crystalline amino acids diets. Agricultural Sciences in China 10:602-610. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1671-2927(11)60042-4
    » https://doi.org/10.1016/S1671-2927(11)60042-4

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    23 Nov 2018
  • Date of issue
    2018

History

  • Received
    06 Mar 2018
  • Accepted
    15 July 2018
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