Evaluation of wheat gluten in phase 1 nursery pig diets

The objectives of these experiments were to evaluate the effect of glutamate and glutamine (Glx) content in wheat gluten (WG) in nursery diets on pig performance. Three experiments were conducted previously to determine if WG could be included in the nursery diet. The results of these experiments indicated that WG could substitute for expensive animal protein ingredients typically included in the nursery diet. A defining feature of WG is a high proportion of Glx. It was hypothesized that adding Glx to the diet at the same level found in WG would lead to a similar growth response. The results of this experiment indicated that Glx may not be the responsible party for the growth response seen when WG is added to the nursery diet.