title: Valine requirement of the finishing pig.
abstract: Pigs weighing approximately 70 kg were used in two experiments to determine the valine requirement during the finishing period. In the first experiment, 10 gilts were allotted in two 5 x 5 Latin square designs to five semipurified diets that ranged in valine concentration from .35 to .55%. Urinary urea excretion was measured during each of the 3-d periods of the Latin square. Urea N excretion in relation to N intake and to creatinine N excretion was minimized (quadratic effect, P < .10) at valine concentrations of .45 to .50%. In Exp. 2, 36 barrows and 36 gilts were fed one of six diets containing .35 to .60% valine. The highest weight gains (not significant) and feed efficiencies (quadratic effect, P < .05) were achieved by the pigs that consumed .45% valine. Plasma urea concentration at the end of the experiment was lowest (quadratic effect, P < .05) in pigs that consumed .50% valine. Estimates of the valine requirement based on breakpoint and quadratic equation analyses ranged from .40 to .50% total valine (.33 to .43% ileal digestible valine). Pigs in Exp. 2 consumed approximately 2.5 kg/d (8,850 kcal/d of ME). Thus, the estimate of the valine requirement is approximately 11 g/d. These estimates of the valine requirements of finishing pigs are slightly higher than the National Research Council requirements when expressed as a percentage of the diet but are similar when expressed on a grams per day basis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583-0908, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000652:urine; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011897:Random Allocation; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D014508:Urea / Q000652:urine; D014633:Valine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology / Q000592:standards; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014508:Urea; D003404:Creatinine; D014633:Valine; D009584:Nitrogen