Effect of increasing dried blood cells in corn-soybean meal diets on growth performance of weanling and growing pigs1

Dried blood cells (DBC) contain low levels of Ile relative to Lys, and thus Ile may become limiting in pig diets supplemented with DBC. Therefore, 3 experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of increasing DBC in corn-soybean meal-based diets in weanling (7 to 13 kg, Exp. 1 and 2) and grower (24 to 46 kg, Exp. 3) pigs. Treatments were replicated with 4 to 6 pens of 4 to 6 pigs per pen. In Exp. 1 and 2 (14 d), all diets contained 0.10% L-Lys HCl and DBC were added at 2% increments from 0 to 8%. In Exp. 1, all diets contained 1.40% total dietary Lys. All diets in Exp. 2 contained 1.185% apparent ileal digestible Lys. In Exp. 1, increasing dietary DBC resulted in a linear decrease in ADFI (P < 0.05) and a quadratic decrease (P < 0.10) in ADG. Gain:feed was not affected by DBC addition (P > 0.10). In Exp. 2, increasing dietary DBC resulted in a decrease in ADG (linear and quadratic, P < 0.01) and a linear decrease in ADFI and G:F (P < 0.05). Experiment 3 was conducted for 28 d to determine the effect of graded levels of DBC. In Exp. 3, DBC were added to the diets at 2% increments from 0 to 8%. All diets contained 1.00% total dietary Lys. In Exp. 3, increasing dietary DBC resulted in a decrease in ADG and ADFI (linear, P < 0.01). Feed efficiency was not significantly affected by the increasing levels of DBC. The results of these 3 experiments indicate that ADG can be maintained with up to 4% DBC, but DBC fed above 2% may have a negative effect on feed efficiency of weanling and grower pigs. The maximum inclusion level of DBC that can be added in a diet for weanling and growing pigs without reducing growth performance is dependent on the Ile:Lys.