Threonine: lysine ratios for piglets from 6 to 11kg of live weight in diets based on the ideal protein concept

The experiment was carried out with the objective to determine the threonine requirement and the ratio of total threonine to lysine in diets for piglets from 6.04±0.67 to 11.60±1.22kg. A randomized block design with four treatments and six replicates was used. The treatments consisted of diets with different contents of total threonine (0.86; 1.02; 1.18 and 1.34%), different ratios of total threonine to lysine (54, 64; 74 and 84%) and constant contents of lysine (1.60%), methionine (0.44%) and tryptophan (0.29%). All animals received the same diet from 11.60 to 21.30kg. No differences were observed for any of the performance variables (daily feed intake, daily weight gain, daily weight gain adjusted for constant feed intake and feed:gain), nor for plasma urea nitrogen of piglets. These results indicate that piglets weighing from 6.0 to 11.0kg, do not need more than 0.86% of total threonine in the diet (0.72% of digestible threonine) and total threonine: lysine ratio of 54: 100 (digestible threonine:lysine ratio of 49:100).

amino acids; performance; swine; plasmatic urea