Increasing energy and lysine in diets for growing-finishing pigs in hot environmental conditions: Consequences on performance, digestibility, slurry composition, and gas emission1

Abstract

The influence of dietary nutrient concentration on growth performance, manure composition, and gas emission was studied in pigs in hot environmental conditions. A total of 64 intact males and 64 females [(Landrace × Large White) × Pietrain] weighing 63.1 ± 9.7 kg were divided into 2 dietary treatments: high (HD: 14.39 MJ of DE/kg and 1.11% Lys) and low (LD: 13.97 MJ of DE/kg and 1.01% Lys) in energy and Lys contents. Pigs were allocated to 32 split-sex pens with 4 pigs/pen and 16 pens/treatment. Average productive performance was recorded for 41 d (phase 1). After phase 1, 12 females of 103.3 ± 3.15 kg (6 per treatment) were selected and housed individually, and feces and slurry were collected during 3 and 4 consecutive days, respectively, to calculate nutrient digestibility and measure gas emissions (phase 2). For gas emission measurements, slurry was pooled by treatment and stored for 76 d. Initial composition of slurry and pH were analyzed. Maximum and minimum temperatures registered in the barn throughout the growing period were 35.1 and 18.1°C, respectively. Animals fed the HD diet grew more efficiently than pigs fed the LD diet (G:F, 0.43 vs. 0.40; SEM = 0.01; P < 0.05). Fat digestibility was greater in HD compared with LD pigs (88.0 vs. 84.9%; SEM = 0.9; P < 0.05). Slurry from pigs fed the LD diet showed greater DM, OM, total N, and VFA contents than slurry from pigs fed the HD diet. Cumulative NH(3), CO(2), and especially CH(4) emissions were greater in the HD slurry compared with the LD slurry (192.4 vs. 210.g of NH(3)/m(3); 2,712 vs. 3,210 g of CO(2)/m(3); 1,502 vs. 2,647 mL of CH(4)/kg of OM). Increasing feed density in the present study led to a more efficient growth, a decreased nutrient concentration in the slurry, and a greater gas emission.

The inclusion of rapeseed meal in fattening pig diets, as a partial replacer of soybean meal, alters nutrient digestion, faecal composition and biochemical methane potential from faeces

“…The protein and fat content in faeces, however, was not different between treatments. Methane emission from faeces is directly related with slurry composition (IPCC, 2006;Jarret et al, 2011a,b;Cerisuelo et al, 2012). Methane production is the result of the degradation of organic compounds by methanogenic archaea.…”

“…Diet composition has been identified as one of the most important factors influencing methane and other gas emission from slurry (Aarnink and Verstegen, 2007;Jarret et al, 2011a,b;Cerisuelo et al, 2012). In this regard, nutritional strategies have been identified as the first step for reducing the environmental impact of animal slurries by the document on Best Available Techniques for intensive rearing of poultry and pigs published by the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control organism (IPPC, 2003).…”

Rapeseed meal and canola meal can partially replace soybean meal as a protein source in finishing pigs

“…However, in the present study, replacing SBM with 4% RSM or CM had no negative effect on blood characteristics in finishing pigs. Faecal noxious gas emission and meat quality were regarded as one of the most important criteria of feed formulation in pig diets (Apple et al 2002;Aarnink and Verstegen 2007;Cerisuelo et al 2012). In the present study, pigs fed with RSM had no negative effects on faecal noxious gas emission (ammonia, total mercaptans, and hydrogen sulphide) and on meat quality such as meat colour, sensory evaluation, drip loss, pH, LMA, and WHC as compared with those fed with SBM.…”

Management and nutritional strategies to improve growth performance and carcass merit in white pigs

“…In this respect, Cámara et al (2014) reported a linear increase in ADG of the pigs as the energy content of the diet increased. In contrast, Cerisuelo et al (2012) reported similar ADFI and ADG with an increase in the DE content of the diet from 14.0 to 14.4 MJ DE/kg.…”

“…However, an increase in the NE content of the diet often results in greater energy intake and fatter carcasses (Cámara et al, 2014). On the other hand, high CP diets are often used to increase the safety margins of indispensable AA resulting in increases in N excretion and the emission of gas to the environment (Møller et al, 2004;Dinuccio et al, 2008) which reduces the interest of this practice (Cerisuelo et al, 2012). The use of crystalline AA allows to reduce the CP content of the diets while maintaining growth performance (Kerr et al, 2003).…”