Amino Acids in Pig Nutrition

There are considerable differences in the basic feeds used by the Australian Pig Industry relative to those used overseas. Maize and soyabean meal form the basis of the USA and Canadian feeding systems, and barley and soyabean meal the basis of the feeding systems in Western Europe. In Australia, wheat, barley and sorghum are the major cereals fed, and meat and bone meal, soyabean meal, cottonseed meal, sunflower meal and lupins the main protein concentrates. A characteristic of the Australian feeds is the lack of adequate quantities of high quality, uniform protein concentrate. The low lysine status of most protein concentrates, together with the relatively low lysine status of cereal protein means that lysine is normally the first and major limiting dietary amino acid. Thus there is considerable potential for the use of free (synthetic) lysine in diets, particularly for grower-finisher pigs.