• Topics: Animal Sciences  | Swine Feed and Nutrition  |  Myer, Robert O  |  Walker, W Randy 

Understanding Swine Feeding Programs¹

Introduction

Since feed costs make up the largest expenditure in raising swine, (40-80% of total cost) proper feeding is very crucial for economic swine production. With many different commercial feeds, feed supplements, base mixes, and premixes on the market, feeding pigs can be quite confusing.

Nutrients Usually Added to Corn in Swine Diets

The major component of swine rations are cereal grains such as corn. Most of the commercially available supplements and premixes on the market are designed to supplement corn (or other grain) to give a complete balanced diet.

Nutrients needed or commonly added to complement ground grain for swine diets (rations) are given in Table 1.

The most common protein source used in swine diets is soybean meal. Other common protein sources include meat and bone meal, cottonseed meal, poultry by-product meal and peanut meal. Soybean meal is by far the most desirable supplemental protein source for swine diets since it has a good balance of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that are complementary to the amino acids found in the protein of corn and other cereal grains.

The most common sources of calcium are calcium carbonate (ground limestone), dicalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate and de-fluorinated rock phosphate. The latter three are also the most common phosphorus sources in swine diets.

Swine Feeding Programs

Most commercially available protein sources, supplements and premixes can be utilized in one of four basic programs (feeding systems). These are 1) the complete diet system 2) the complete supplement system 3) the basemix system and, 4) the premix system. What these systems are and their relationship to one another is outline in Table 2. Each system may have certain advantages and/or disadvantages for a particular swine operation.

Complete Diet System

In this feeding system, complete commercially mixed diets are purchased from a feed manufacturer and delivered to the farm either in bulk or in bags and are fed directly without further processing. This eliminates the need for on-farm feed processing and shifts the burden of ensuring properly balanced diets to the feed manufacturer. The complete diet system is generally the most expensive, especially if purchased by the bag. This system is better suited to the smaller producer and hobby farmer. In some cases this system may be economical for larger producers especially if large amounts of mixed feed can be purchased and stored in bulk. In addition, purchases of small amounts of complex complete specialty feeds, such as baby pig prestarter diets, may be justifiable in certain swine operations.

Complete Protein Supplement System

This is a popular system suited to most swine operations. In this system, a complete protein supplement is purchased and mixed with ground grain on the farm. The complete supplement provides supplemental protein as well as vitamins and minerals to complement corn or other grains either purchased or grown on the farm. These protein supplements usually contain 36-40% crude protein and the major ingredient is usually soybean meal. An example of information given on a feed-tag of a commercially available complete protein supplement is given in Table 3.

Complete supplements are used at varying levels in mixed diets to provide the nutrient specifications for each class of swine. For example, a diet for young, growing pigs from 40 to 120 lbs may call for a mixed diet of 450 lbs of complete supplement plus 1,500 lbs of ground grain to give a ton of complete feed. A diet for older finishing swine from 120 lbs to market weight of 230 lbs may call for a ration of 350 lbs of complete supplement plus 1,650 of ground grain. Instructions on the use of these complete supplements are usually printed on the feed tag or on the bag. Be sure to follow manufacturers' directions. Booster packs and/or special complete supplements are usually required for sow gestation and lactation diets and young pig starter diets.

The complete protein supplement system is simple and less expensive that the complete diet system. Disadvantages include the lack of flexibility in diet formulation and lack of knowledge about the quality of the supplemental ingredients.

Basemix System

This is another popular system commonly used in swine operations. This system involves purchasing the vitamins, trace minerals, salt, supplemental calcium and phosphorus in a mixed premeasured form to be added to ground grain and a supplemental protein source. Generally, 40 to 100 lbs of the basemix is added to soybean meal and ground grain per ton of mixed feed. For example, a diet for young, growing pigs may involve 50 lbs of mineral-vitamin basemix plus 350 lbs of soybean meal and 1,600 lbs of ground grain to give a ton of mixed feed. The basemixes (sometimes referred to as mineral-vitamin premixes) are widely available from many different feed companies and come with mixing instructions. An example of information found on a typical basemix feed tag is given in Table 4.

The advantages of the basemix system is its relative flexibility, simplicity, and quality assurance. For those producers who can purchase soybean meal in bulk, this system can be more economical than either the complete diet or complete protein supplement system.

Premix System

This system is the most complex but least expensive and involves the use of many different ingredients - vitamin and trace mineral premixes, salt, phosphorus source, calcium source, protein source and grain (Table 2). The advantages of this system are its economy, flexibility and control over ingredient quality. However, this system is usually better suited for larger operations as bulk purchases of the lesser used ingredients can result in significant savings in the mixed feed.

Summary

For efficient swine production, supplemental protein plus various minerals and vitamin supplements must be added to grain in swine diets. There are various ways in which this can be done. A complete feed can be purchased, or various types of supplements can be purchased for on-farm mixing with ground grain. The two most popular on-farm mixing systems involve the use of a commercially available complete protein-vitamin-mineral suppliment or soybean meal plus a commercially available vitamin-mineral basemix. When using the commercially available products be sure to follow manufacturers' directions to ensure proper diet mixing for each class of swine. Failing to do so could result in nutrient deficiencies and/or imbalances which can hurt animal performance and ultimately the pocketbook.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.

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