Modelling nutrient requirements for pigs to optimize feed efficiency

Description

Improvement of feed efficiency is crucial if pig production is to meet the challenge of sustainability in terms of production costs and environmental impact. This implies to precisely know the nutrient requirements of sows and growing pigs to develop adapted feeding strategies and thus optimize performance. This chapter describes existing modelling approaches developed to predict the nutrient requirement of a single individual animal (growing pig or sow) in terms of protein/amino acids, energy and minerals, and depending on characteristics of the pig and the feed, and environmental conditions. The chapter proposes and explains the integration of individual variability among animals into models for pig feeding, its application in precision feeding, and illustrates via a case study the relevance of the application of these models for improving feed efficiency.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Modelling pig nutrient requirements 3 Population, variability and feed requirement modelling 4 Towards precision feeding 5 Case study 6 Conclusion and future trends 7 Where to look for further information 8 References