141 Determination of the optimum standardized ileal digestible lysine for nursery pigs fed high levels of dietary fiber

An experiment was conducted to determine the optimum standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys for nursery swine-fed high levels of dietary fiber. A total of 2,525 pigs [PIC 337 × 1050, initial body weight (BW) = 6.5 kg], placed in pens of 36 mixed-sex pigs, were used in a 42-d trial. Pigs were allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments with 14 replicates per treatment. Increasing dietary SID Lys concentrations of 1.14, 1.22, 1.30, 1.38, and 1.45% were obtained by blending the 1.14% and the 1.45% SID Lys diets via Big Dutchman DryExact Pro feeding system (Big Dutchman, Holland, MI). The different SID Lys levels were obtained by changing the inclusion rate of soybean meal, which ranged from 15 to 28%. The experimental diets contained sugar beet pulp and soy hulls, resulting in an NDF level of 10.5%. Experimental diets were fed for 17 d and followed by a common corn, soybean meal, and 10% DDGS diet with 1.30% SID Lys from d 17 to 42. Pigs were weighed on d 0, 17, and 42 to calculate average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and gain to feed ratio (G:F). From d 0 to 17, a quadratic (P < 0.05) improvement in ADG and ADFI was observed for pigs fed increasing SID Lys up to 1.38%, plateauing thereafter. Pigs fed increasing SID Lys had linearly (P = 0.001) improved G:F (Table 1). From d 17 to 42, there was no evidence (P > 0.10) for differences in ADG, yet ADFI increased linearly (P = 0.004) while G:F decreased linearly (P = 0.001) for pigs previously fed increasing concentrations of SID Lys. Overall (d 0 to 42) for pigs fed increasing SID Lys, ADG and ADFI increased quadratically (P < 0.05) up to 1.38% SID Lys, whereas G:F increased linearly (P = 0.001) up to 1.45% SID Lys. Mortality and removal rate was quadratically influenced (P < 0.05) by feeding increasing SID Lys. Our findings suggest feeding weaned pigs from d 0 to 17 a diet containing 1.38% SID Lys is optimal for growth performance while minimizing mortality and removal rate.