TY - JOUR

T1 - Amino acid availability of protein meals of different quality for adult and growing mink (Neovison vison)

AU - Tjernsbekk, Maria Therese

AU - Tauson, Anne Helene

AU - Matthiesen, Connie Frank

AU - Ahlstrøm, Øystein

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Protein and amino acid (AA) availability of three protein meals of expected different quality were evaluated in young growing and adult mink. Lamb meal (LM), poultry meal (PM) or fishmeal (FM) were used as main protein sources in three extruded diets investigated by determining apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and nitrogen balance in 12 growing mink males aged 8–11 weeks in a Latin square design. In adult mink, ATTD of the diets was determined. The diets had lower protein content than recommended for growing mink, protein contributing 23% of total metabolisable energy (ME), to ensure differences in growth response. The LM diet with expected low protein quality revealed lower content of essential AA than the PM and FM diets. The ATTD of major nutrients and essential AA was significantly affected by diet, with the poorest values for LM, intermediate for PM and the highest values for FM. Mink kits revealed lower ATTD values than adults for protein, AA and especially fat, resulting in lower dietary ME content for kits than for adults. The mean difference was greatest for the LM diet with lowest ATTD and smallest for the FM diet with the highest ATTD. Nitrogen retention and growth rate differed significantly among diets and was lowest for diet LM and highest for diet FM, respectively. Different dietary essential AA contents and ATTD, especially of methionine, were the main factors to explain the difference in growth response. Generally, plasma essential AA concentrations did not clearly reflect the different dietary supply and the different growth response. The study shows that a recommended level of 0.31 g apparent total tract digestible methionine per MJ ME covers the minimum requirement with a safety margin. To obtain optimal growth, the lower digestive capacity in young mink kits should be considered when choosing feed ingredients.

AB - Protein and amino acid (AA) availability of three protein meals of expected different quality were evaluated in young growing and adult mink. Lamb meal (LM), poultry meal (PM) or fishmeal (FM) were used as main protein sources in three extruded diets investigated by determining apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and nitrogen balance in 12 growing mink males aged 8–11 weeks in a Latin square design. In adult mink, ATTD of the diets was determined. The diets had lower protein content than recommended for growing mink, protein contributing 23% of total metabolisable energy (ME), to ensure differences in growth response. The LM diet with expected low protein quality revealed lower content of essential AA than the PM and FM diets. The ATTD of major nutrients and essential AA was significantly affected by diet, with the poorest values for LM, intermediate for PM and the highest values for FM. Mink kits revealed lower ATTD values than adults for protein, AA and especially fat, resulting in lower dietary ME content for kits than for adults. The mean difference was greatest for the LM diet with lowest ATTD and smallest for the FM diet with the highest ATTD. Nitrogen retention and growth rate differed significantly among diets and was lowest for diet LM and highest for diet FM, respectively. Different dietary essential AA contents and ATTD, especially of methionine, were the main factors to explain the difference in growth response. Generally, plasma essential AA concentrations did not clearly reflect the different dietary supply and the different growth response. The study shows that a recommended level of 0.31 g apparent total tract digestible methionine per MJ ME covers the minimum requirement with a safety margin. To obtain optimal growth, the lower digestive capacity in young mink kits should be considered when choosing feed ingredients.

KW - Age differences

KW - animal proteins

KW - digestibility

KW - mink

KW - nitrogen balance

KW - performance

KW - protein efficiency ratio

U2 - 10.1080/1745039X.2019.1667711

DO - 10.1080/1745039X.2019.1667711

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31591916

AN - SCOPUS:85074054821

VL - 74

SP - 72

EP - 86

JO - Archives of Animal Nutrition

JF - Archives of Animal Nutrition

SN - 1745-039X

IS - 1

ER -