Self-selection by growing pigs of diets differing in lysine content

Two 42-d experiments were conducted with 60 and 100 Large White growing pigs, initially weighing 17.7 and 18.3 kg, respectively, to determine their ability to select between diets varying in lysine content. Dietary lysine levels ranged from .60 to 1.40%. A common basal diet (17% crude protein, 3.3 Mcal digestible energy/kg) based on corn, soybean meal and peanut meal was used in both experiments. When offered a choice between deficient (.60% lysine) and balanced (.85% lysine) diets, the pigs consumed a higher proportion of the balanced diet. However, they did not discriminate between diets deficient in lysine (.60%) or containing excess lysine (1.16 or 1.40%). There were differences in diet preference over time. Pigs offered the deficient diet (.60%) and balanced diet (.85% lysine) progressively chose a higher proportion of the balanced diet as the trial progressed, but pigs offered a marginally deficient diet (.72% lysine) and a diet with excess lysine (1.21%) consumed a higher proportion of the high lysine diet during the first 3 wk of the experiment, but not during the last 2 wk of the experiment. These differences could be explained by the fact that the preference for a higher lysine diet at a given age depends on its proximity to the optimal level for growth, but also on the range between self-selected lysine concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)