In Journal of Animal Science, the results are published of a study into the standardised ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids in alfalfa meal (lucerne meal), sugar beet pulp and wheat bran compared to wheat and protein ingredients for growing pigs.

First-named author, Mieke Eklund of the University of Hohenheim and co-authors from Evonik Industries AG and the University of Kiel in Germany as well as the University of Alberta in Canada report that a total of 11 (8 + 3 for replacement) barrows with an initial bodyweight of 23kg and fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum were used in two consecutive experiments.

SID of amino acids in seven feed ingredients were measured in two consecutive duplicated 4×4 Latin square designs.

In Experiment 1, three corn starch-based assay diets were formulated to contain 170g crude protein per kg (as-fed basis) from soybean meal (SBM), canola meal (CM) or meat-and-bone meal (MBM) and one assay diet that contained 136g crude protein per kg (as-fed basis) from wheat as commonly used feed ingredients for pigs.

In Experiment 2, the pigs were fed four assay diets formulated to contain 170g crude protein per kg (as-fed basis) from either the same SBM as in Experiment 1 or a combination of this SBM and alfalfa meal (AM), sugar beet pulp (SB) or wheat bran (WB) to compare the SID of amino acids in these feed ingredients with those used in Experiment 1.

The SID of amino acids in CM was lower than SBM (P<0.05) with intermediate values for MBM and wheat.

Among fibre-rich feed ingredients, SID values were lower in SB than WB (P<0.05) with intermediate values for AM.

In AM, SID values ranged between 29 and 45 per cent for lysine, cystine, threonine and phenylalanine and between 51 and 71 per cent for arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine and valine.

In SB, SID values ranged between –21 and 46 per cent for cystine, threonine, phenylalanine and Val and between 51 and 61 per cent for arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, and methionine.

In WB, SID values were between 55 and 64 per cent for lysine, cystine, Phe, threonine, and valine and between 68 and 80 per cent for arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine and methionine.

The SID values in WB, SB and AM provided in the present study may improve diet formulation when these feed ingredients are used in diet formulation for pigs.

Reference

Eklund M., M. Rademacher, W.C. Sauer, R. Blank and R. Mosenthin. 2014. Standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in alfalfa meal, sugar beet pulp, and wheat bran compared to wheat and protein ingredients for growing pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 92(3):1037-1043. doi: 10.2527/jas.2013-6436

February 2014