• Modern Swine Production is Extremely
Complex
– Feeding strategies involve
• Feed ration formulation – nutrient levels
• Choice of number of rations to feed
• Choice of time periods for feeding rations
• Timing and feed concentration of growth promotants (e.g., antibiotics or ractopamine)

Modern Swine Industry (cont’d.)
– Marketing strategies involve
• Choice of when to “turn the barn” with All-
In/All-Out system
• Optimal target market weights and sort weights
• Contracts
– Nutrient management / Air Quality
• Manure value positive or negative
• Feed additives (e.g., phytase) affect nutrient absorption

Modern Swine Industry
(cont’d.)
– Genetic Sources
• Match health in your system
• Production flow - All-In/All-Out system?
• Optimal target market weights and sort weights for these genetics
– Marketing Agreements
– Packer grids
– Managing Inputs
• Feed Ingredients, etc.
– ALL LINKED!

• Cost per ton of feed
• Cost per unit of lysine
• Cost per unit of digestible lysine
• Cost per unit of digestible energy
• Total feed cost per pig marketed
• Cost per lb of gain
• Cost per lb carcass sold
• For Every 0.01 improvement in F:G will decrease total feed costs by $0.28-0.30/pig
Boyd, 2008

Nutrient Requirements over Time
Pigs' Requirement
Typical Phase Feeding

Split Sex and Phase Feeding
• Split Sex feeding will save $0.50-0.75/cwt
• Phase Feeding – How much can it save?
– Is more better?

Projected theoretical savings per pig due to increasing the number of diet phases.
Number of
Grow-Finish diet phases
2
Diet cost per pig marketed a
$42.55
Savings compared to a
Two phase program
----
Incremental savings per additional diet phase
3
6
9
4
5
12
$41.41
$41.01
$40.67
$40.43
$40.10
$39.90
$1.15 ($1.60)
$1.55 ($2.48)
$1.89 ($3.02)
$2.12 ($3.39)
$2.46 ($3.93)
$2.65 ($4.24)
$1.15
$0.40
$0.34
$0.24
$0.11
$0.06
a Corn=$2.24/bu, 44% SBM = $240/ton; Assumed equal pig performance and feed intake b D.D. Koehler, 1997
(updated to $3.90/bu corn and $315/ton SBM, $900/ton DiCal – BTR 1/2009)

Hammer, Hammer, Roller mills
Every 100 Microns reduction improves feed Eff. By 1.2%
(7.5-10 lbs of feed/pig)
Angle of Repose

• Hit the Bottom of the grid instead of the top
– IPC – 170-214 lb carcass (230-285 lb Live)
– Pigs will be leaner and increase lean premiums
– Need to be careful not to have too many lights
• Discounts 160-170 lb ($2/CWT) then $8 and $12/CWT
• What does it cost to leave the Facility Open or less than capacity?
• Saves A lot of FEED!

55-210
210-220
220-230
230-240
240-250
250-260
260-270
270-280
280-290
Weight Feed (total),
LB
532
34 (566)
35 (601)
36 (637)
37 (674)
37 (711)
38 (749)
39 (788)
40 (828)
Feed Savings from 270 lb
-110 lb (15%)
-74 lb (10%)
-37 lb (5%)
+39 lb
+79 lb

Evaluation of optimal market weights for different pigs
• The actual feed intake, BW , backfat and loin depth data were fitted to growth functions for the high lean gain pigs
• The average lean gain pigs were modeled to have greater rate of fat accretion and ADFI than the high lean gain pigs.
• The low lean gain pigs had the greatest fat accretion – and most rapid decrease in percent lean.

Evaluation of optimal market weights for pigs
• The growth, DFI , backfat and loin depth data was applied to three pork processor’s grids – Tyson’s, IPC and Farmland foods.
• Corn and soybean meal prices were originally set to 10 yr. average values – corn
$2.50 /bushel, 48 % Soybean meal $190/ton and then increased by 20 % to 2.4 times the average values.
Pigs were split sex – phase fed.

Predicted Feed Conversion for Three Genetic
Populations of Barrows

Predicted Feed Conversion for Three Genetic
Populations of Barrows

Relationship of backfat to live weight in three genetic populations of gilts

Optimal Slaughter Weight with
Increasing Feed Costs
Corn and soybean meal prices were originally set to 10 yr. average values
Corn $2.50 /bushel, 48% SBM $190/ton and then increased by 20 % to 2.4 times the average values.

Pigs per pen
Pigs removed
Sq. Ft/pig
Start Wt., lb
Residual Wt., lb
Avg. Final Wt., lb
Removed Avg. wt
Marginal ADG
Marginal F:G
Feed cost/30 lb of gain
Marginal $/pen
24
278
0
1.45
4.24
0
7.25
249
249
$12.72
$2,707
24
280
268
1.83
3.76
6
9.67
250
244
$11.28
$2,748
24
270
267
1.84
3.63
12
14.5
250
233
$10.89
$2,739
Boyd, 2008

Pigs per pen
6 Pigs removed
Sq. Ft/pig
Total Wt Sold
Total Feed Used
COV LW at 24 wks
Sort Loss, $/pig
27
0
6.85
7598
4366
8.5
3.49
27
20 wks
27
22 wks
27
20 and 22 wk
7477 7642 7374
3524 (19%) 4077 (6.6%) 3131 (28.3%)
7.2
2.52
7.5
2.69
6.4
1.13
Campbell, 2006

Antibiotic and Herd Health
Programs
• Using the right level and antibiotic
– Is it working for you
– Can you use something else or none
– Feed Savings relative to Increased
Cost?
• Updating Herd Health
– Reduce costs long term

Weaned PSY
$/sow
Gestation $197
20
$9.85
22.5
$8.76
25
$7.88
Lactation $84
Total $281
$4.20
$14.05
$3.73
$12.49
$3.36
$11.24
Lb/sow Lb/pig
Total Feed 2,175 109 97 87

ADFI, lb
MWC1
MWC2
MWC3
MWC4
ADG, lb
MWC1
MWC2
MWC3
MWC4
G:F
MWC1
MWC2
MWC3
MWC4
14 d 28 d 42 d 56 d 70 d
8.07
11.56
11.26
10.19
3.13
4.48
2.98
3.09
0.37
0.41
0.26
0.28
9.52
12.94
12.19
11.68
2.45
3.38
2.29
2.22
0.27
0.28
0.18
0.17
10.43
13.77
12.59
12.63
1.93
2.44
1.76
1.51
0.19
0.17
0.13
0.10
10.80
14.07
12.44
13.04
1.57
1.67
1.39
0.96
0.14
0.09
0.10
0.05
10.63
13.82
11.76
12.90
1.37
1.05
1.19
0.57
0.12
0.04
0.10
0.03

Feed costs = $0.09/lb and Fixed costs = $0.25/day
Sow prices = $0.33, $0.36, $0.38, and $0.40, for respective MWC

Cull Sows and Paylean (21 d)
• Increased ADG (3.15 vs 2.65)
• Increased G:F (0.29 vs 0.25)
• No Diff in ADFI
• Decreased Fat Accretion (0.31 vs
0.41 in.)
• 10.5 lb more sow weight
• Is it cost Effective?
Knauer et al., 2008

• Cost per ton of feed
• Cost per unit of lysine
• Cost per unit of digestible lysine
• Total feed cost per pig marketed
• Cost per lb of gain
• ROI per pig space per day
• Lots of variables that can affect profitability!