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The experimental treatments were arranged in a 2 x 5 factorial with two levels of DE (3,4 and 3,6 Mcal/kg) and five LDER (from 3,7 to 4,9 g total lysine/Mcal DE). The study involved three replicates of 20 pens and 80 pigs each, resulting in 6 pens of four animals per level of DE and LDER. Animals were fed the experimental diets for 28 days from the eighth day after weaning.
No interactions were found between the level of DE and LDER on the performance results obtained. Average daily feed intake was not affected by LDER. On the contrary, average daily gain and feed efficiency increased (quadraticaly and linearly, respectively) with increasing LDER, irrespectively of the DE level. From the average daily gain results obtained it was estimated the best LDER; a LDER of 4,27 g of total lysine per Mcal was required for maximal performance of pigs between 7,5 and 22,5 kg.
The estimate of the LDER obtained in the present study (4,27 g/Mcal) is higher than the recommendations of NRC (1998; 3,4 g/MCal). The difference may be the consequence of the increased lean growth rate, and the increase in the proportion of lean that have been obtained during the last decade in the lean commercial breeds.
TF Oresanya, AD Beaulieu, E Beltranena, y JF Patience. 2007. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. Vol 87: 45-55.
