April 27, 2009
Dutch scientists to research on finisher feed
Scientists in the Netherlands started a four-year research in March into specified finisher feeding for animals with different health status.
The project will determine the effect of an animal's health status on finisher nutrition requirements with a special emphasis on amino acids and energy. It is expected that by supplying feed tailor-made to the animal's health status, performance and feed utilisation can be improved and nitrogen excretion can be lowered.
Data about the effect of the animal's health status in the amino acids requirements and the relationship between protein and energy in pig feed are also limited.
In the project's first phase, new techniques will be developed to determine the pigs' amino acid requirements. The techniques will help determine the effect of the health status (sub-optimal, conventional, high health status) on the finisher energy and amino acid requirements.
It is hoped that more knowledge can be acquired about the variation in energy and amino acid requirements in finishers with a different health status. The knowledge can be used to formulate new compound feeds with adapted amounts of amino acids, depending on the finishers' health status.
The feeds will be evaluated at the Wageningen University's test farm in Sterksel, in the south of the Netherlands.