The physical characteristics, chemical composition, and nutritional value of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from seven beverage alcohol and two fuel alcohol manufacturers were evaluated in studies with chicks and pigs. Color scores of the DDGS ranged from very light to very dark and odor scores ranged from normal to burnt or smoky. The DDGS ranged from 23.4 to 28.7% CP, 2.9 to 12.8% fat, 8.8 to 36.9% ADIN, 28.8 to 40.3% NDF, 10.3 to 18.1% ADF, and 3.4 to 7.3% ash. Lysine concentrations of the DDGS ranged from .43 to .89%. In the first experiment, 12 corn-based diets were fed to 1-d-old chicks for 21 d to assess the nutritional value of the DDGS sources. A low-protein basal diet was supplemented with soybean meal to provide 13.6, 16.5, or 19.0% CP or supplemented with 20% DDGS, which supplied approximately the same amount of CP as the highest level of soybean meal. Weight gain, feed intake, and feed/gain were influenced (P < .01) by source of DDGS. The weight gain of chicks fed the DDGS sources ranged from 85% of that chicks fed the highest level of soybean meal to less than that of chicks fed the low-protein basal diet. Blends of the three best sources of DDGS and the three poorest sources of DDGS were evaluated in a subsequent chick trial. The relative nutritional values of the two blends were similar to the average of the sources that made up the blends. Performance responses to various blends of DDGS in the pig experiment paralleled those of the chick trial.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Four experiments involving 225 pigs were conducted to assess the efficacy of a microbial phytase (FINASE, Alko Ltd. Biotechnology, Rajamäki, Finland) produced by Aspergillus niger in corn-soybean meal or dextrose-cornstarch-soybean meal-based diets. In two experiments with growing-finishing pigs, fortified corn-soybean meal diets were formulated to be adequate (.50%) or inadequate (.40 or .30%) in P during the growing phase followed by adequate (.40%) or inadequate (.30%) P in the finishing phase. Mono-dicalcium phosphate was the source of supplemental P. Half the diets were supplemented with phytase (500 phytase units/g). Rate and efficiency of gain and bone breaking strength were decreased when P-deficient diets were fed. Phytase supplementation of the low-P diets restored growth rate and feed:gain to levels that approached those of pigs fed the adequate-P control diet. Bone strength was partially restored to that of the controls. In two additional experiments, pigs were fed low-P basal diets in which all the dietary P came from soybean meal or a corn-soybean meal blend. Both diets contained .05% available P. Graded levels of monosodium phosphate were added to these diets, up to .15% added P, to establish a standard curve. Phytase was added to the basal diet at 250, 500, or 1,000 units/g. Growth rate and bone strength improved linearly (P < .01) with added monosodium phosphate and with increasing levels of supplemental phytase. Based on estimates of total and available P intakes, the highest level of phytase (1,000 units/g) increased the bioavailability of the P from 25% in the soybean meal diet to 57% in the phytase-supplemented diet, and from 15% in the corn-soybean diet to 43% in the phytase-supplemented diet. Expressed on the basis of the improvement in phytate P availability, this level of phytase converted approximately one-third of the unavailable P to an available form. The results indicate that the phytase was efficacious in improving the bioavailability of phytate P for pigs.

Five 28- to 33-d experiments involving 460 crossbred pigs weaned at 28 +/- 2 d of age (initial weight, 6.7 to 8.1 kg) were conducted to determine the effects of feeding high dietary levels of Cu sulfate (CuSO4) or Cu oxide (CuO) on rate and efficiency of gain and liver Cu stores of weanling pigs. The pigs were housed in groups of five to six/pen and fed a fortified, unmedicated, corn-soybean meal-dried whey basal diet (1.1% lysine, 30 ppm Cu). In Exp. 1 and 2, pigs (eight replicates) were fed the basal or the basal plus 125 or 250 ppm Cu from CuSO4 or CuO for 28 d. In Exp. 3 and 4, four replications were fed the same diets as in Exp. 1 and 2 plus two additional diets (500 ppm Cu from CuSO4 or CuO). In Exp. 5, dietary levels of 0, 125, 250, 375 or 500 ppm Cu from CuSO4 were evaluated using four replications. At the end of each experiment, the liver from one pig in each pen was collected for Cu analysis. Overall, rate and efficiency of gain were improved (P less than .01) by feeding 125 or 250 ppm Cu as CuSO4, with the 125 ppm dietary level being about 75% as effective in stimulating growth as 250 ppm. Performance of pigs was not different from controls when the highest (500 ppm) level of Cu (from CuSO4) was fed. Liver Cu increased 10- to 70-fold when 250 to 550 ppm Cu from CuSO4 was included in the feed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The influence of a low and a high level chronic immune system (IS) activation on growth and dietary nutrient needs of pigs was evaluated. All pigs were of a single genetic strain and geographical site of origin, and the low and high IS pigs were created by physically isolating pigs from or continuously exposing pigs to major vectors of environmental antigen transmission. In each IS group, four littermate barrows in each of six litters were allotted at 25 +/- 2 d of age to one of four dietary amino acid regimens (.60, .90, 1.20, or 1.50% dietary lysine. Dietary lysine concentrations were achieved by altering the ratio of corn to soybean meal resulting in lysine being the first-limiting amino acid in each diet. Pigs were individually penned in facilities maintained at 25.6 +/- 2 degrees C and allowed to freely consume feed from 6.2 to 26.5 kg BW. On the basis of the differences in serological antibody titers, lymphocyte CD4+:CD8+ ratios, and serum alpha-1-acylglycoprotein concentrations, low and high levels of IS activation were established and maintained during the study. Minimizing the degree of chronic IS activation resulted in greater feed intakes (P < .09), body weight and protein gains (P < .01), gain:feed ratios (P < .01), and body leanness (protein:lipid, P < .01). The level of IS activation did not influence the partial efficiency of energy utilization for body protein and lipid accretion. To allow their greater capacity for body growth and protein accretion to be expressed, the low IS pigs required greater dietary lysine concentrations and daily lysine intakes than high IS pigs.

Sixty sows were individually penned in a thermoneutral (20 degrees C) or hyperthermal (32 degrees C) environment and fed a basal (corn-soybean meal), high-fiber (48.5% wheat bran) or high-fat (10.6% choice white grease) diet from d 100 of gestation through a 22-d lactation. The diets were determined to contain 3.28, 2.76 and 3.75 Mcal ME/kg, respectively. All pigs received 8.0 Mcal of ME and 17.5 g of lysine daily prior to parturition and were allowed to consume their respective diets ad libitum after parturition. Litter size was standardized at 9 to 10 pigs by d 2 postpartum. Milk yields were determined for five, 4-d periods from about d 2 through 22 of lactation via a D2O dilution technique. Daily milk yield and litter weight gain began to plateau, and the efficiency of utilizing milk DM and milk energy for gain was depressed (P less than .01), in the latter stages of the lactation. Heat exposure (32 degrees C) reduced (P less than .05) voluntary ME intake and milk energy yield of the sow and increased (P less than .05) the sow's weight loss during lactation. In the hot environment, increasing dietary energy concentration resulted in a linear (P less than .08) increase in milk fat content and milk energy yield over the duration of the 22-d lactation. In the latter stages of lactation, pigs consuming high-fat milk required more (P less than .09) milk and milk energy per unit of weight gain. In the warm environment, milk energy yield was increased by dietary fat or fiber additions in early lactation, but not in late lactation. These results indicate that the effects of thermal heat stress on sow milk energy yield and litter weight gain are aggravated by dietary fiber addition and minimized by dietary fat addition.

Five trials involving 518 pigs were conducted to determine the effects of the dietary addition of copper (0 or 250 ppm as copper sulfate) with and without antibiotics (55 ppm chlortetracycline, CTC, or 27.5 ppm virginiamycin VIR) on the rate and efficiency of gain and survival of early-weaned pigs. The experimental animals consisted of all pigs weaned from each of 67 litters at 28 +/- 2 days of age, regardless of weight or condition. In trials 1 through 4, single additions of copper, CTC or VIR to the corn-soybean meal-based diet improved (P less than .05) daily gains by 22, 22 and 17%, respectively, and feed to gain ratios by 5.1, 8.9 and 8.2% compared with those of pigs fed the unsupplemented diet during the 28-day trials. However, only the addition of copper to the diet increased (P less than .05) postweaning pig survival. Dietary inclusion of both copper and an antibiotic (CTC or VIR) further improved daily gains (P less than .05) by 10 to 11% and feed to gain ratios by 2 to 5% compared with the single addition of each antimicrobial agent. In trial 5, 125 ppm of copper were found to optimize daily gain and feed intake, whereas 250 ppm were required to maximize pig survival. These data demonstrate that high levels (125 to 250 ppm) of dietary copper increase the growth rate and reduce the incidence of mortality among weanling pigs. The data also indicate that the growth-promoting effects of copper and CTC, a broad spectrum antibiotic, or VIR, a gram-positive antibiotic, are additive in nature.

The impact of amino acid nutrition during lactation on body nutrient mobilization and milk nutrient output in primiparous sows was evaluated. Thirty-six sows, nursing litters of 13 pigs, were allocated daily 6 kg of a fortified corn-soybean meal diet containing a high (HP, 1.20% lysine) or low (LP, .34% lysine) protein content during a 23-d lactation. Dietary lysine concentration was achieved by altering the ratio of corn and soybean meal in the diet. The LP sows consumed less daily ME (14.2 vs 16.1 Mcal; P < .11) and daily lysine (16 vs 59 g; P < .01) than the HP sows. Daily litter weight gain was less (P < .01) for sows fed the LP vs HP diet, and the differences increased (P < . 01) as lactation progressed. The lower litter weight gain for the LP sows was reflective of the lower (P < .01) estimated milk DM, CP, and GE output of these sows. The LP sows lost more body weight (1.23 vs .21 kg/d; P < .01) during the initial 20 d of lactation. In the LP sows, 59% of the weight loss was protein, water, and ash, and 37% was fat. Weight loss in the HP sows was entirely accounted for by body fat mobilization, because these sows accrued body protein, water, and ash. Muscle myofibrillar breakdown rate was higher in LP sows than in HP sows (4.05 vs 2.80%/d; P < .01). On the basis of these data, dietary amino acid restriction during lactation increases maternal mobilization of proteinaceous tissue and reduces milk nutrient output. Maternal protein mobilization is maintained over the entire lactation even though milk output is decreased as lactation progresses.

The influence of a low and high level of chronic immune system (IS) activation on body nitrogen retention, partial efficiency of dietary lysine utilization, and lysine needs of pigs at three body weights was determined. All pigs were of a single genetic strain and geographical site of origin, and the low and high IS pigs were created by physically isolating pigs from or continuously exposing pigs to major vectors of antigen transmission. In each IS group, four littermate barrows in each of six litters were allotted at 25 d of age to one of four dietary amino acid regimens (.60, .90, 1.20, or 1.50% dietary lysine). Pigs were individually penned and allowed to freely consume feed from 6.2 to 26.5 kg BW. Nitrogen balance during 4-d periods was determined for each pig at BW of 10, 17.5, and 25 kg. Minimizing the level of chronic IS activation resulted in 4.7 to 7.7 g/d greater body nitrogen retention, 147 to 201 g/d greater BW gain, and 101 to 147 g more gain per kilogram of feed in pigs at the three BW. Dietary lysine intakes needed to maximize each of these criteria at BW of 10, 17.5, and 25 kg were a minimum of 2, 2, and 3 g/d greater in the low vs high IS pigs. However, the partial efficiency of lysine utilization for body nitrogen retention was similar between IS groups. On the basis of these data, the greater dietary lysine needs of the low IS pigs are due to their greater biological capacity for body nitrogen accretion and not to differences in their efficiency of dietary lysine utilization.