Fourty barrows with high genetic potential for lean gain averaging initial and final body weights of 15.76 + 0.93 kg and 30.23 + 1.56 kg, respectively, were used to evaluate the effect of digestible lysine levels, using the ideal protein concept, on the performance and carcass composition. The treatments were composed of a basal diet containing 19.46% crude protein and 3,280 kcal of ME/kg, that were supplemented with different levels of HCl-L-Lysine, resulting in diets with 0.90, 1.00, 1,10, and 1.20% of digestible lysine. The diets were supplemented with increasing levels of synthetic amino acids, resulting in diets with ratios of methionine + cystine, threonine, tryptophan and valine:lysine constant in 60, 60, 19 e 69%, respectively, based on the true digestibility. No treatment effects on feed intake, concentration of plasma urea and percentages of water, protein and fat in the carcass were observed in this trial. However, significant quadratic effects on weight gain and feed:gain ratio with quadractic maximum and minimum of 1.10 and 1.12% of lysine, respectively, were detected. Intake of digestible lysine increased linearly among treatments. The depositions of protein and fat in the carcass answered quadractily with quadratic maxima at 1.12 and 1.08%, respectively. The level of digestible lysine that provided the best results of performance and carcass characteristics of barrows with high genetic potential from 15 to 30 kg was of 1.12% of true digestible lysine, corresponding to a digestible lysine intake of 12.03 g/day (3.42 g of Lys/Mcal of ME).
amino acids; carcass; genotype; nursery phase; piglets; urea
