[The optimal vitamin B 6 requirement of early weaned piglets]

In a two-period rearing trial (1st to 24th and 24th to 45th experimental day) using 72 early-weaned piglets, the optimal vitamin-B6 requirement was determined on the basis of different performance criteria and biochemical parameters. In the corresponding live weight ranges of 3.5 to 10 kg and 10 to 21 kg, the animals allotted in 6 groups were ad lib. fed a prestarter and starter feed, respectively containing 0.5, 1.2, 2.0, 2.8, 3.5 and 6.6 mg vitamin B6 per kg dry matter. For adequate feed intake and weight development, a dietary vitamin B6 content of 2.0 mg/kg and 1.2 mg/kg proved necessary for the 1st and 2nd part of the experiment, respectively. An optimal intermediary metabolic situation and thus an optimum vitamin B6 requirement covering, which was derived from the renal xanthurenic acid excretion and the SGOT activity, was attained only at a vitamin B6 supply level of 3.5 and 2.8 mg/kg for the 1st and 2nd experimental periods, respectively. This corresponds to an average vitamin B6 requirement per animal and day of 0.8 mg for the weight range 3.5 to 10 kg, and of 1.9 mg for the weight range 10 to 21 kg.