Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of wheat and crystalline amino acids on growth performance of nursery and finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, a total of 192 pigs (PIC, 337 × 1050, initially 26.7 lb BW) were used in a 21-d nursery study. Pigs were allotted to pens by initial BW, and pens were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with 6 pigs per pen and 8 replications per treatment. Treatments included: (1) corn-soybean meal diet, (2) diet 1 with wheat replacing approximately 50% of the corn, (3) wheat replacing 100% of the corn in diet 1 with high amounts of crystalline amino acids, and (4) diet 3 with 5% more SBM and lower crystalline amino acids. Overall, (d 0 to 20), no growth performance differences were found when replacing 50% of corn with wheat (P>0.75), but tendencies for reduced ADG (linear, P<0.08) were observed when replacing 100% corn with wheat. Replacing 100% of corn with wheat improved (linear, P<0.05) caloric efficiency on an ME basis and tended to improve (linear, P<0.07) caloric efficiency on an NE basis. Adding more soybean meal to all wheat diets tended to improve (P<0.07) F/G and improved (P<0.03) caloric efficiency on an NE basis.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 15, 2012

Keywords: Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station contribution, no. 13-026-S, Report of progress (Kansas State University. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service), 1074, Swine, Amino acids, Finishing pig, Nursery pig, Wheat

How to Cite:

Goehring, D. L., DeRouchey, J. M., Tokach, M. D., Nelssen, J. L., Goodband, R. D. & Dritz, S. S., (2012) “The effects of wheat and crystalline amino acids on nursery and finishing pig growth performance and carcass characteristics”, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 1(10), 166-173. doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.7098