Effects of Dietary Lysine and Energy Levels on Growth Performance and Apparent Total Tract Digestibility of Nutrients in Weanling Pigs

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary lysine and energy level on performance and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients in weanling pigs. In Exp. 1, a total of 288 weaned pigs (initial BW 5.77 +/- 0.85 kg) were randomly allotted to 4 treatments (4 replicates per treatment with 18 pigs in each replicate). Experimental diets were fed in the 3 phases: phase I (d 0 to 7), phase II (d 8 to 14) and phase III (d 15 to 28). Isocalorific diets (3,450 kcal/kg) with incremental lysine levels (Phase I: 1.51, 1.61, 1.71 and 1.81; Phase II: 1.35, 1.46, 1.56 and 1.66; Phase III: 1.18, 1.28, 1.39 and 1.49% lysine respectively for T1, T2, T3 and T4) were used as treatments. An increase in the dietary lysine levels linearly improved (p<0.05) the ADG and G:F during phases I, II and III as well as overall study period. The ATTD of DM (d 7 and 28) and CP (d 7, 14 and 28) were linearly improved (p<0.05) with increasing dietary lysine levels. ATTD of ash, Ca and P were not affected by dietary lysine level. In Exp. 2, 64 weanling pigs (initial BW 4.79 +/- 0.79 kg) were randomly allotted to 4 treatments (4 replicates per treatment with 4 pigs in each replicate) in a 2x2 factorial arrangement on the basis of BW. Effects of two levels of energy (high, 3,450 or low, 3,350 kcal/kg) and lysine (high or low; 1.70 or 1.50, 1.55 or 1.35 and 1.40 or 1.20% in phase I, II and III diets, respectively) on performance and ATTD of nutrients were investigated. High energy and lysine diets improved ADG (p<0.05) in pigs during phase I, II and III and overall period (p<0.001), while G:F increased (p<0.05) during phase I and overall period. Pigs fed high lysine diets consumed more (p<0.05) feed during phase III and overall period. Additionally, pigs fed high energy diets had greater (p<0.05) ATTD of GE (d 7 and 14), CP (d 7 and 28) and DM (d 28); whereas, pigs fed high lysine diets had greater (p<0.05) ATTD of GE and CP during d 7, 14 and 28. ATTD of ash, Ca and P remained unaffected (p>0.05) by dietary energy and lysine level. However, there was no energyxlysine interaction for any of the measured variables. Results obtained in present study suggested that high energy and lysine level improve the growth performance and ATTD of nutrients in weanling pigs.