Effect of Season on Growth Performance of Finishing Pigs fed Low-Protein, Amino Acid Supplemented Diets

Myer, R.O., Brendemuhl, J.H. and Bucklin, R.A. 2008. Effect of season on growth performance of finishing pigs fed low-protein, amino acid supplemented diets. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 34: 1–8. A two year study was conducted to evaluate the effects of diet (low-protein diets supplemented with crystalline amino acids (aa) vs. high-protein, non aa supplemented control diets) and season/rearing environment (hot, humid summer vs. cool fall/winter) on growth performance and carcass lean content of finishing pigs (52 to 110 kg). For each year, two trials, each with 84 pigs, were conducted. Outside daily high and low temperatures (C) and RH (%), respectively, averaged 26, 21 and 81; 26, 20 and 83; 14, 7 and 80; and 10, 3 and77for yr 1 and 2 summer and y r 1 and 2 fall I winter, respectively. Diets were maize and soybean meal based (3.3 meal ME/kg). The low-protein (LP) diets were four percentage units lower in crude protein (CP) than the corresponding control diets; crystalline lysine, threonine, tryptophan a...