Metabolic utilization of dietary energy and nutrients for maintenance energy requirements in sows: basis for a net energy system.

Digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME) and net energy for maintenance (NEm) values of a set of fourteen diets were measured in six adult sows fed at and below their maintenance energy level. The efficiency of ME for NEm was estimated from heat production (HP) measurements (indirect calorimetry) at these different feeding levels. HP was partitioned between HP due to physical activity, thermic effect of food (TEF) and fasting heat production (FHP). The amounts of DE digested in the small intestine or in the hindgut were measured. Equations for prediction of NEm from dietary characteristics were calculated. HP at maintenance level averaged 400 kJ/kg body-weight0.75, 16 and 19% of the total being due to physical activity and TEF respectively. The efficiency of ME for NEm averaged 77.4% with higher values for digestible diethyl ether extract (100%) and starch+sugar (82%). The efficiencies of digestible crude protein (N x 6.25) and digestible residue averaged 69 and 56% respectively. The energy absorbed from the small intestine was used more efficiently than the energy fermented in the hindgut (82 v. 59%). These values are comparable with those obtained in growing pigs. The NEm content of diets can be predicted accurately from equations including DE (or ME) values and some dietary chemical characteristics.