Redefining the Amino Acid Paradigm for Modern Sows

Abstract Over the last 20 years, the commercial sow has genetically changed in terms of body composition, increasing litter sizes and potential milk yield. These increases in litter size and milk yield have elevated metabolic demands during lactation leaving questions around if the existing nutrient requirement models represent the nutritional needs of the modern sow. Recent studies demonstrate greater requirements for energy, amino acids, and key micronutrients to support fetal growth, mammary development, colostrum composition, and lactation performance. Changes in sow housing and precision feeding technologies have added additional layers of practical approaches and estimation of nutrient requirements. While sow research has provided new insights into the lactating female, substantial knowledge gaps remain, and sow mortality continues to rise. As a result, traditional feeding paradigms may inadequately account for the metabolic demand placed on high-producing sows, which can result in reduced longevity, compromised reproductive efficiency, and variable piglet performance. As more feed grade amino acids have become available, research has allowed for a more refined set of requirements for branched chain amino acids and other amino acids such as histidine, as well as speculation on the inclusion level of feed grade lysine. In conclusion, refinement of sow nutrition must incorporate biological demand, dynamic modeling approaches, and multidisciplinary integration of physiology, environment, genetics, behavior, and precision management tools.