Estimates of growth curves, body composition and lysine requirement for pigs with high genetic potential

• Grant number: 24/03581-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Luciano Hauschild
• Grantee: Anderson Borba
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/15559-7 - Precision nutrition for sanitary challenged pigs reared in hot climate areas, AP.JP2
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/17596-8 - Effect of immunocastration on the individual amino acid requirements of high potential male pigs, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

The objective of the study will be to estimate consumption and growth curves, body composition and digestible lysine requirements for growing and finishing pigs for a line with high genetic potential. The nutritional requirements of the population will be estimated in two experiments simultaneously, using the dose-response (1) and factorial (2) methods. In the first study (1), ninety entire male pigs will be used, ranging from 50 to 75 kg. The animals will be distributed in a randomized block design into six nutritional treatments (55; 68; 81; 94; 107 and 120% of the digestible lysine requirement), with fifteen replications of one animal per treatment. This experiment will last 28 days. Water and food will be provided ad libitum throughout the experimental period. Performance data, body composition, nitrogen balance, and economic analysis will be evaluated. In the second study (2), forty-five animals will be used, in which each animal will be considered an experimental unit. This period will be divided into three phases, 25 to 50 kg, 50 to 75 kg and 75 to 110 kg, of 28 days each. Performance and body composition variables will also be evaluated. The results obtained will be used to determine in which percentile the animal with the lysine requirement that best represents the population is found to express the maximum response of interest. Using this information, it will be possible to calibrate the factorial method to estimate daily lysine requirements for the entire growth and finishing period, considering the variability of the population in question. Therefore, this project proposes a new way of estimating requirements for pig populations considering population variability.