Available phosphorus levels in diets for pigs with high genetic potential for lean meat deposition kept in thermoneutral environment from 15 to 30 kg

Abstract

It was used 72 pigs, 36 castrated males and 36 females, with initial weight of 14.97 ± 0.36 kg to evaluate levels of dietary available phosphorus (aP). The animals were distributed in a completely randomized block design, with six levels of aP (0.107; 0.214; 0.321; 0.428; 0.535 and 0.642%), six replicates and two animals (one castrated male and one female) per experimental unit. Air temperature and relative humidity in the room were kept at 24.5 ± 1.2°C and 76.3 ± 8.5%, respectively. The levels of aP influenced both daily feed intake and daily weight gain, which increased in a quadratic way up to the estimated levels of 0.420% and 0.443%, respectively and feed conversion, which improved in a quadratic manner up to the estimated level of 0.461%. It was observed the effects of levels of aP on quantity of phosphorus and ash in the bone, which increased in a quadratic manner up to the estimated levels of 0.525% and 0.520%, respectively. Levels of Ap affected daily protein deposition in the carcass, which increased in a quadratic way up to the estimated level of 0.394%. There was no effect of levels of aP on daily fat carcass deposition. Levels of aP that provided the best results for daily weight gain, feed conversion and bone mineralization in swines with high genetic potential for lean meat kept in thermoneutral environment, from 15 to 30 kg are 0.443, 0.461 and 0.525%, respectively, corresponding to estimated daily intakes of 5.25, 5.45 and 6.14 g of aP.