Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
6. Applied amino acid and energy feeding of sows
N.L. Trottier
1*
, L.J. Johnston
2
and C.F.M. de Lange
3
1
Michigan State University, Department of Animal Science, Monogastric Animal
Nutrition, Anthony Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
trottier@msu.edu
2
University of Minnesota, West Central Research and Outreach Center, 46352 State
Highway 329, Morris, MN 56267, USA
3
University of Guelph, Animal and Poultry Science, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON,
N1G 2W1, Canada
Abstract
Optimizing nutrition of the gestating and lactating sow is dependent on several factors,
including valid estimates of energy and amino acid requirements, knowledge of feed
ingredient quality and nutrient availability, and feeding systems. Together, these factors
are critical to ensure sow health, wellbeing and long-term productivity. Determinants
of energy and amino acid requirements for gestation include body maintenance,
growth of conceptus and changes in maternal energy and protein stores; for lactation,
litter growth rate is by far the most important determinant. Energy requirement for
these processes have been quantified and effective metabolizable energy requirements
estimated. In contrast to net energy, effective metabolizable energy accounts for the effect
of dietary energy source on energetic efficiencies. Amino acid requirements are now
universally expressed on a standardized ileal digestible basis, which represents amino
acid availability following small intestinal absorption, and accounts for basal endogenous
amino acid losses. The main determinant of amino acid requirement for maintenance
include the basal intestinal endogenous amino acid losses, which are related to the level
of feed intake, and to the amino acid losses from skin and hair, which are a function
of the sow's metabolic body size. For gestation, five protein pools together define the
sow's global body protein pool, namely the maternal body, the fetal body, the uterus, the
placenta and associated fluids, and the udder. The unique amino acid profiles (i.e. amino
acid:lysine) for each of these pools and estimated efficiency of amino acid deposition
are used to calculate a global standardized ileal digestible requirement for each amino
acid for gestation. For lactation, the amino acid requirements are defined by the amino
acid composition of two pools (maternal body and milk), the estimated efficiency of
amino acid utilization and their relative contribution to protein accretion over the course
of lactation. Ensuring that gestating and lactating sows receive the energy and amino
acids needed to meet the expected productive demands (i.e. conceptus and litter growth,
respectively) is dependent upon feed ingredient quality and gestation and lactation
feeding systems. Optimal feeding systems which include feeder designs and feed delivery
methods are those that optimize feed intake, reduce stereotypies and ensure wellbeing.
Keywords:
sow, energy, amino acid
