Unit 6: Swine Feeding
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Identify and discuss swine feeding
options throughout various life stages
Understand specific nutrient needs
and possible additives
Knowledge of swine feeding systems
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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The Breeding Herd
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The Boar
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Protein requirements
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50-125# - 18% CP
125-200# - 16% CP
Mature boars – 14% CP
>180# - reduce ration energy content
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Add fiber
 Include more alfalfa meal
 Replace corn w/ oats
Limit feed
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Nonbreeding season
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10-14d prior to breeding
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4-6# of feed/d of 12-14% ration
Increase feed amount by 50%
Hold good condition w/out overconditioning
Sow Herd
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Be aware of reproductive stages and the
protein requirements for each
Pregestation
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Usually – replacement gilts raised to 225-275#
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
Allows for full genetic expression
 Full-fed grow/finish diets
At 225+#, selection of replacements and separated
from the market herd
 Restrict dietary energy intake to 60-75% of
previous diet
 Allows for more body growth, but restricts fat
deposition
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Breeding
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Gilts
 Should weigh 250-300#
 6-7 mos. Old
 At least 2-3 estrus cycles
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
Flushing – increase energy intake prior to and
during breeding – improves health, ovulation
rate, increased live embryos
Sows
 Bred at first estrus after weaning
 High-energy lactation diet for last 2-5 wks,
reduce feed intake at weaning
 Some producers restrict all feed and water
intake 24 hrs after weaning to help stimulate
return to estrus
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Gestation
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Restricted energy intake to limit fattening
 Excess fat impedes reproductive performance
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
12-14% CP diet, 5500-6500 kcal ME/d
 Can also increase dietary fiber, or interval feed
(full feed every third day)
Last third of gestation
 Increase daily feed intake of gilts
 Keep sows at same feeding rate
Wt. gain during gestation
 Sows ~50#
 Gilts 75-100# from breeding through farrowing
Farrowing
 Increase dietary fiber to reduce constipation risk
 3-5d prefarrowing to 3-5d postfarrowing
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Unit 6: Swine Feeding
Some producers will feed the same diet and
restrict intake, others will feed ad libitum
Lactation
 May increase feeding level after farrowing to
meet needs for energy and milk production
 13-16% CP diet high in energy, low in fiber
 4-5#/d base, plus 1#/nursing pig
 Antibiotics if necessary
 Fat may be used to increase caloric density –
increases energy density of milk, improves
piglet survival, heavier litter wts, reduced sow
wt loss
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Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Piglets should consume colostrum w/in 72 hrs
of birth for immune function
Piglets may need supplemental iron either
orally, or by injection from 3 days of age until ~3
wks
Early weaning (<21d) can increase rates of
gain, lean meat production, carcass quality, etc.
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Feeding the Market Pig
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Protein
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Maybe the most critical nutrient in swine
rations
Amino acid balance is more important than %
CP
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Common limiting AA in swine diets
 Lysine, tryptophan, threonine, methionine
 Needs vary w/ age and wt of the pig
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Types of Diets
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Milk replacer diets
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Not widely accepted
Tend to be expensive and difficult to manage
Prestarters (20-24% CP)
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Fed to early wean pigs <3 wks old
Can also fortify diets for pigs not receiving enough
milk
Usually contain some amount of milk protein,
antibiotic, fat, and sugar
Pellet or crumble form
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Starters (18-20% CP)
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Complete feed ration fed from 3-6 wks of age
Can be used as a creep ration before weaning
Fed until ~40#
Include appropriate antibiotic
½ of grain should be corn
Grow-Finish Diets
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Grower diets (14-16% CP)
 Fed from 40-120# wt
 Typically a corn/SB diet fortified w/ min/vit and
antibiotics into a complete diet
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Finisher diets (13-14% CP)
 Fed from 120# to market
 Antibiotic level is optional
Dietary Feeding Systems
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Simple vs. Complex diets
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Simple diets fed to older pigs
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Consist of corn, SBM, min/vits
Complex diets more appropriate for younger
pigs
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May contain milk proteins, medications,
byproducts, etc.
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Complete vs. Free-Choice Diets
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Complete diets
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Have the entire diet mixed into one presentation
form
Recommended for grow/finish diets
 Easily automatic fed
 Control nutrient intake (no sorting)
 Faster gains
Free Choice diets
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Pigs can choose to eat two or more ingredients at
free will
Requires more management of diet (palatability,
etc.)
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Can be expensive and poor performing if not
managed properly
Full Feed vs. Limit Feed Diets
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Grow/finish pigs
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Full feed allows them to express their full genetic
potential
 Weight gain
 Feed efficiency
Limit feeding is harder to justify for the increased
management it requires
 Limiting the pig to a intake level lower than what
they would voluntarily consume
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Gilts & Sows
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Replacement gilts should be on full feed until the
reach their heaviest lean growth potential
 Until ~250# on full feed
 Limit feed from then until breeding
Gestating gilts and sows
 Should be limit fed to prevent overconditioning
 Sows should be limit fed immediately after
weaning
 Individual feeding – measured amount of feed
to each sow, fed in individual pens, crate, etc.
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Group feeding – measured amount of feed to a
group of sows, can result in aggressive sows
consuming more than timid sows
Interval feeding – allow them to have full feed
every third day, reduces labor required for hand
feeding, reproductive performance tends to be
the same as limit feeding
Dry vs. Liquid Feeding
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Mixing water w/ the diet
Rate of gain is the same
May be beneficial in young pigs
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Freshness is a problem w/ wet feeds
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Can spoil and develop off flavor quickly
May be hard on feeding system and labor
Meal vs. Pelleted Diets
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Reduces waste
Less storage required
Better control of nutrient intake (each bite is
the same)
Improved palatability and feed intake
Higher cost compared to meal form
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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May improve availability of some nutrients
May improve ADG by 5% and feed efficiency
by 10%
Very appropriate for complete diets
High-Moisture vs. Dry Corn
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High-moisture corn can be used w/ no
difference in production
HMC is difficult to store and handle in swine
systems
Pig may have trouble consuming the proper
amount of corn and supplement
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May over- or undereat either ingredient
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Feed Processing
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Processing should be based on ingredients used
and the handling system
Poorly processed feeds can cause poor
performance
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Particle size variation
Inadequate blending
Sorting
Health problems
Poor feed utilization
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Grinding or Rolling
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Most common processing method
Relatively inexpensive, and easy to justify
economically
Either hammer or roller mill
Measure fineness by microns
Uniform grind produces uniform mixing and
consumption
Feed efficiency improves as grind becomes
finer
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Too fine can cause palatability problems, handling
problems, dust, gastric ulcers
Growing pigs
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Breeding herd
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650-750 microns
750-900 microns
Pelleting
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Improves growth rate and feed efficiency
Reduces dust, storage space, ingredients needed on
the farm, feed waste
Also destroys most feed borne pathogens
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Can be expensive, increase incidence of
gastric ulcers, pellet quality can be hard to
maintain
Heat Processing
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Can improve nutrient availability in some
feeds
Time and temperature of processing is key
SBM is most effective when heat treated
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Feed Ingredients for Swine Diets
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General
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Too many too list
Corn is the energy basis for most all diets in
the U.S.
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What other ingredients are used?
Protein sources tend to be SBM, and an
animal protein source
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Important supplemented macros
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Most likely to be deficient micros
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Fe, Cu, I, Se, Zn
Likely deficient vitamins
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Ca, P, Na, Cl
Riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, B 12, A, D (E,
K under some circumstances)
Misc. Feeds for Swine
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Whole SB
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No difference in performance found when used in
gestation & lactation diets
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Reduced performance in growth/finishing diets
Heated treated SB
 Can add a lot of fat to the diet
 Reduces protein concentration of the SB
Fats or Oils
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Tallow or vegetable oils, or blended fats (restaurant
or processing byproducts
 Little performance difference in types of fats
Cannot add >7% due to handling problems
Can reduce dust
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Growing pigs
 Each 1% added fat increases feed efficiency by
2%
 >2% = little effect on backfat thickness, >3% will
slightly increase backfat thickness
 Response greater in warm temperatures
Gestation & Lactation
 Increases fat content of colostrum
 Increase piglet survival 2-3% (in herds w/ <80%
survival rates)
 Little effect on litter size, BW, WW
 Minimum of 7.5% needed 10-14d prefarrowing
to induce a response
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Dried Skim Milk & Dried Whey
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DSM – 8% moisture, 32-35% CP
DW – 11% CP, 61% lactose
Valuable for milk replacers and starter diets
Readily digested
10-30% inclusion in starter diets 10-30d
postweaning
Spray Dried Plasma Protein
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Blood proteins
78% CP
Can have antibody effect
Stimulates feed intake at 4-7% inclusion 7-10d
after weaning
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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High Lysine Corn
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Normal yellow corn = .2% Lysine
HLC = .55% Lysine
Can save substantial amounts of SBM in the diet
Must determine amount of lysine in the corn
Balance for lysine requirement rather can CP
Synthetic AA
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Higher AA requirement rather than just protein
Can replace SBM in the diet if cost is too high
Lysine – first limiting AA, Tryptophan (Corn-SBM)
or Threonine (milo-SBM) – second limiting AA,
Methionine tends to be the next limiting AA (2nd in
HLC diets)
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Feed Additives
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May improve efficiency, acceptance, health,
metabolism
Can increase meat production by 15%
May help produce a safer, higher quality product
Antimicrobial drugs
 Improve health and performance
 Aid in animal’s ability to withstand stressors
 Usage must comply w/ FDA regs
Anthelmintics
 Controls internal parasites
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
May be fed periodically or continuously
Copper Sulfate
 3-11 ppm inclusion to meet growth requirement
 125-250 ppm – works as a growth promoter and
has similar effect as antimicrobials
 Can be toxic at >250 ppm
 Drawbacks – corrosion of galvanized metals,
decreased bacterial degradation in lagoons
Antioxidants
 Prevent deterioration of some nutrients during
storage, and reduce oxidative reactions in
animal tissues (spares vit E, Se)
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Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Probiotics
 Increases amount of desired GI microbes
 Lactobacillus, Bacillus subtillus, Streptococcus
faecium, yeast
 Reduce E. coli
 Produce more antibiotic substances
 Reduce GI toxicity levels of some substances
Organic Acids
 Used in postweaning pig diets to increase ability
to digest carbos and proteins
 Response is variable
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Enzymes
 May help digest substances the pig cannot by
themselves
 Can help improve digestibility of some nutrients
or compounds in the diet (P, Barley)
Flavoring Agents
 Increase acceptance of a low palatability diet
 Increase intake under normal and stress
conditions
Mold Inhibitors
 Prevent mold growth in stored feeds
 Mold reduces palatability and may increase risk
of mycotoxins
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Pellet Binders
 Reduce pellet breakdown
 Reduces refusal
 Sodium bentonite
Zinc
 High levels of SBM ties up dietary Zn
 Diets must be fortified w/ Zn to prevent
parakeratosis
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Miscellaneous
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Confinement Rearing
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More reliable production than traditional
systems, especially in grow/finish situations
Gestating sows may use pasture the most
efficiently
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Still requires grain supplementation
May reduce some health risks associated w/
confinement (except what?)
Unit 6: Swine Feeding
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Nutrient & Environment Interaction
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Floor space/pig has some effect on gain, but
it decreases w/ age
Interactions w/ environmental temperature
Nutrient requirements of Swine
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See tables 7-2 through 7-5