Nutrient requirement models for swine
in Europe
.02
nutrient requirement feed value
Feeding systems are based on a common
language between “value” and “requirement”
GE
pig
DE ME NE
total amino acids AID amino acids SID amino acids
ideal amino acid profile
feed
ATP retained amino acids
… but it is all about the interaction between the feed and the animal
.04
Nutrient and energy-driven models:
it started a long time ago …
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 0
20 40 60 80 100 120
DE intake (MJ/d)
Protein deposition (g/d)
Whittemore & Fawcett, 1976
.... acknowledging a relationship between protein and energy
.06
Nutrient and energy-driven models
lipid
protein starch sugars fiber
intermediary metabolism
lipid ATP
protein
heat
Nutrient and energy-driven models
.08
Despite considerable modeling efforts, few models made it into tools
Other issues have received attention
Digestion and absorption Body composition
.010
fatty acids other nutrients
fatty acids
C16:0 C16:1 C18:0 C18:1 C18:2 C18:3 C20:5
de novo synthesis
dietary origin subcutaneous
intramuscular intermuscular internal
What determines the fatty acid composition of tissues?
Other issues have received attention
Stressors
.012
Lovatto & Sauvant, 2003
Dealing with nutritional stressors and trajectories
Other issues have received attention
Variation among animals
.014
Variation among individuals is natural, essential, and very well controlled
70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 0.3
0.5 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.3
Age (d)
Lys requirement (%)
Which animal in the population do you want to feed?
.016
Modeling has become increasingly important in research
Models have been mostly research-oriented; little development of model-based tools
The relation between nutrition and other aspects of animal production are now being addressed
Increased interest in modeling variation among animals
Feed intake has received little attention (as a driving force for growth or as a response criterion)
Where are we now?
Towards a more unified system of farm animal nutrition (in Europe)?
Background:
Most feeding systems are static and nutrition-oriented
Feeding systems in Europe speak different dialects
Past initiatives for harmonization have failed
Budget and brains are increasingly limiting to further develop these systems
A willingness to cooperate through a COST action
What are the challenges?
People have established a reference basis
Towards a dynamic, response-based system including interdisciplinary and multifunctional aspects of animal production
A great opportunity to do this across livestock species
