The flow of endogenous nitrogen in the digestive tract of young pigs.

Twenty pigs were given one of five diets containing 0.,9-39.2 g nitrogen/kg dry matter (DM) during the period 13-27 d of age. 2. The pigs were fed hourly, from 22-27 d of age, with a diet sprayed with an indigestible marker, 103Ru-labelled Tris (1,10-phenanthroline)-ruthenium (II) chloride. All pigs were slaughtered at 27 d of age. 3. Flows of endogenous N estimated by feeding the diet containing 0.9 g N/kg and by regression analysis using results from all diets, were similar. 4. Flows of endogenous N were: stomach 1.8, duodenum 4.5, jejunum 42., ileum 3.5, caecum 2.7, large intestine 2.6 and faeces 1.7 g/kg DM intake. 5. Values are given for the flow of endogenous amino acids to the ileum. 6. Of the DM, 70% was digested anterior to the duodenum and for N the value was 10%. The percentage of N digested anterior to the jejunum was 70.