International Roundup – Tyson to supply pork for US Olympic athletes

Posted in: Energy, Meat Quality by admin on July 14, 2011 | No Comments

The US Olympic Committee (USOC) has decided to import lean proteins, such as pork, for its “Performance Nutrition” program for athletes at the Beijing Olympics. This decision is driven, in part, by concerns that such protein foods, if obtained in Beijing, may contain steroids, says the New York Times.

In preparing to take a delegation of more than 600 athletes to the Summer Games in Beijing, the USOC says it faces food issues beyond steroid-laced pork. In recent years, some foods in China have been found to be tainted with insecticides and illegal veterinary drugs, and the standards applied to meat there are lower than those in the US, raising fears of food-borne illnesses.
The USOC has tried to figure out how to avoid such dangers. It has made arrangements with sponsors Kellogg’s and Tyson Foods to ship 25,000 pounds of lean protein to China about two months before the opening ceremony. Local vendors and importers will be hired to secure other foods and cooking equipment at the Games.

International Roundup – Pork features well in environmental survey

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European retail chains are requesting more documentation regarding the environmental aspects of the products they purchase. Especially in the UK, the terms “food miles” and “carbon footprint” are gaining in popularity. The agricultural faculty of the University of Aarhus in Denmark recently carried out a life cycle analysis of pork from Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK on behalf of the Danish Meat Association.

The term “Food Miles” means the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (g CO2) during the transport of foodstuffs from the producer to the consumer. “Carbon Footprint” refers to the entire life cycle of a product and its greenhouse gas emissions. This term covers the entire value chain.

In the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions, the soybean crop growing in Argentina, the feed production in Denmark and the entire pig production chain including fertiliser production, slaughtering and meat dispatch was included. Through adding all emission values, a realistic value of greenhouse emissions can be calculated per kilo of pork.

According to the life cycle analysis, 1kg pork contributes 3.6kg CO2 equivalents to global warming. As a comparison, replacing a normal 60-watt lamp with an energy saving lamp burning for an hour provides a yearly reduction of 13kg of greenhouse emissions. Transporting by truck to Munich or by ship to Tokyo, the amount increases to 3.7-3.8kg CO2 equivalents per kg pork. This indicates that “Food Miles” do not have much of an environmental effect and represent less than 1% of the entire emissions in the production chain.

The study revealed no large differences between Danish, Dutch and British greenhouse gas emissions for pork.

International Roundup – New record for US pork exports

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The US pork industry achieved its 16th consecutive record-setting year of exports in 2007, according to statistics compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). One of every four pounds of pork traded today originates from the US.

Overall, pork exports increased three percent in volume compared to 2006, surpassing 1.3 million metric tons, nearly 2.9 billion pounds. The value of those exports jumped 10 percent over 2006, exceeding $3.15 billion.

Japan remains the top destination and accounts for 36 percent of the value of all US pork exports. It imported 358,582 metric tons during 2007, valued at $1.152 billion and a six percent increase on the year. “US Pork is perceived as the highest quality product available,” said Greg Hanes, USMEF Japan director.

Mexico is the second highest importer of US pork and pork products although this market saw a 22 percent decline in imports during 2007.

China/Hong Kong was the largest growth market for US pork exports, jumping 91 percent to 169,160 metric tons, nearly 373 million pounds, valued at almost $271 million. Exports to China/Hong Kong surpassed exports to Canada in volume, with 148,576 metric tons or 327.5 million pounds, but Canada remains the No. 3 market in value of pork exports at $491.58 million, a 12 percent jump over 2006.

International Roundup – First GM “Phytase” corn licensed

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China-based supplier of crop seeds and agri-biotech research, Origin Agritech, says it has licensed a new genetically modified corn variety that includes the beneficial enzyme Phytase.
This transgenic corn is believed to be one of the first of its kind to be approved and sold commercially into the domestic marketplace, says a report for Fox Business. It is expected to be commercially available in 2009.

The Phytase enzyme increases phosphorus absorption in animals by 60 per cent and is used as a mandatory additive for animal feed in Europe, Southeast Asia, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan to reduce the environmental impact of livestock manure.

”Phytic acid, the main form of phosphorous in plant-origin animal feeds, is poorly available to monogastric animals as they lack the enzyme capable of hydrolyzing phytic acid to release phosphate. Genetic modification is the world class standard and that is where China is moving,” explained Dr. Yun-Liu Fan, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science and member of the development team.

The development of this phytase – containing cereal means that feed producers will not have to purchase phytase and corn separately. This will reduce production costs and improve manufacturing efficiency. The Phytase transgenic corn has taken seven years to produce

International roundup – EU stance on GM crops threatens livestock industry

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EU farmers’ organization Copa-Cogeca has warned that Europe’s livestock industry could be decimated without greater use of genetically modified crops after European Union agriculture ministers failed yet again in February to agree whether to allow imports of five biotech crops intended for animal feed. The European Commission is entitled to rubber-stamp the applications to import four types of corn and one type of potato into the EU.

Copa-Cogeca, said that with feed prices rising and suppliers in the Americas increasingly planting GM seeds, the industry faced ruin without a speedier approval process. Approvals must first go to national governments, which rarely agree. “It takes two to four years to approve a GM crop in Europe, 15 months in the US. We cannot compete,” said Simon Michel-Berger, Copa-Cogeca’s spokesman.

Feed costs have risen by 50 per cent but pig prices have fallen 8 per cent, he noted. Without help – including export refunds and subsidized storage – up to a fifth of producers could give up by the end of the year, he believes.

David Hill, of the EU biotech farmers’ network, said poultry production was increasingly moving to Thailand and Brazil. He said there were 18 crops awaiting approval for cultivation and 49 for import, and farmers were frustrated by the delay.

The EU has approved only about a dozen crops amid consumer fears of so-called Frankenfoods”. Just one, an insect-resistant corn, can be planted in the EU. France, Austria and Hungary have banned even that.

The Commission has pledged to speed up the process after losing a World Trade Organisation case against the US. Washington has granted a period of grace but could press for sanctions if the situation is not resolved soon.

International Roundup – Ethanol powering US meat and poultry price rise

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Soaring meat and poultry prices in the US are being fuelled by the country’s ethanol policy, says economist Dr. Tom Elam, president of Farm Econ. “You cannot use the combined grain crops of Australia and Indonesia for US fuel and not have an impact on corn, soybean and food prices”, he explains. Elam expects food price inflation to rise five or six percent in 2009 and estimates the cumulative costs to the food industry of the renewable fuel program will be about $100 billion from 2005-2010. The program mandates minimum ethanol production and provides tax incentives for ethanol use.

As part of his analysis, Elam compared what would have happened without the federal bio-fuels program with what has happened. According to his findings, farm level corn prices in 2008 would have averaged about $2.77 per bushel without the program. Ethanol tax credits have added $1.33 per bushel, and may drive corn to more than $5 a bushel in 2009, he says.

Elam has calculated production costs per animal have increased by 53 cents per chicken; $3.40 per turkey; $38 per hog and $117.50 per fed beef animal.

International Roundup – Ethanol boom running out of gas

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Development of new ethanol plants in the USA is grinding to a halt, according to a recent report by Jon Birger in CNN Money’s Fortune Magazine. Cargill has announced it is scrapping plans for a $200 million ethanol plant near Topeka, Kan. and the bankruptcy sale of an unfinished ethanol plant in Canton, Ill. was approved in early March, says the article.

Plans for as many as 50 new ethanol plants have been shelved in recent months, as Wall Street pulls back from the sector, says Paul Ho, a Credit Suisse investment banker specializing in alternative energy. Financing for new ethanol plants, Ho says, “has been shut down.”

The reason for the slowdown is runaway corn prices, notes the report. Spurred by an ethanol plant construction binge, corn prices have gone stratospheric, it says, soaring from below $2 a bushel in 2006 to over $5.25 a bushel today. As a result, it’s become difficult for ethanol plants to make a healthy profit, even with oil at $100 a barrel.

International Roundup – Energy: main income for pork producers?

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Energy could be the prime source of income for pig producers, and pork – in financial terms – might simply become a by-product, says Martin Barker, managing director of British company Midland Pig Producers (MPP).

With the world focus on renewable energy, he sees the system of biogas production – converting pig manure into methane and then electricity – as a competitive way forward. His company is developing a “Green circle pig production concept” in which the manure from 52,000 finishing pigs will be used to generate £1m ($2m) worth of electricity annually. A 3 MW biogas plant is being built, which will also process ‘kitchen’ waste that would otherwise go to landfill. In addition, the waste processing will generate income, since landfill disposal fees for this amount to around £65 ($130) per tonne.

When the waste is processed, an odourless liquid is produced, which is a valuable fertilizer. MPP is currently arranging agreements with local farmers whereby they are supplied with free seed and fertilizer and in return sell grain to MPP at prices reflecting the value of the inputs. The fertilizer should be sufficient for 2,000 hectares of arable land producing enough grain for 15,000 tonnes of pig feed.

“Pig farmers’ survival might depend on energy production and such a system could make pig farming profitable again,” said Mr Barker. He also noted that utilizing homegrown feed for pigs with home-produced fertilizer made good environmental sense.

The bio-digester would produce heat for pig buildings as well as cheap electricity for milling the grain. In addition to reducing nitrates, grain produced within the ‘Green Circle’ concept would cut food miles, further reducing the carbon footprint.

He explained that while these ingredients would not be cheap, they would be relatively cheap in relation to cereals.

Industry Crisis

Posted in: Economics, Production by admin on July 12, 2011 | No Comments

Surprise at January census data 

With anecdotal evidence of a significant number of producers quitting production, especially in Alberta and Saskatchewan, there was surprise at the December pig census data released by Statistics Canada in January, which showed only a 1.9% drop in breeding stock numbers.  Total pig numbers, down 6%, perhaps better reflected the liquidation that is taking place, although a significant proportion of this is likely due to the increased numbers of pigs being shipped to the USA for finishing or slaughter.

Alberta showed the biggest drop in number of breeding pigs, at 4.9%, while total pig numbers fell 10.6%. However, a survey carried out by Alberta Pork in late 2007 suggested that about 15% of producers intended to quit and that there were possibly another 15% that had already started the process of running down their operations and therefore did not respond to the survey. Saskatchewan had the next biggest drop in breeding pig numbers, at 3%, while numbers in Manitoba fell by only 0.6%. Ontario and Quebec also showed modest reductions of 1.6% and 1.3% respectively.

Table 1:  Percentage change in pig numbers – December 2006 to December 2007

                                             CAN                          AB                 SK                     MB

Total pigs                                  -6                         -10.6               -10.3                    -2.0

Breeding stock                       -1.9                           -4.9                 -3.0                    -0.6

Other pigs                              -6.5                           -5.0               -11.1                    -2.2

< 20kg                                      -1                         -11.3                 -5.1                 +13.4

20-60kg                              -11.4                         -11.3               -18.0                  -12.3

> 60kg                                   -7.3                         -10.7               -10.4                  -11.4

It seems likely that the unexpectedly low reduction in breeding pig numbers reflects the time taken to dispose of inventory and the difficulty in getting sows slaughtered at the end of 2007 and into 2008 was probably also a factor. Many producers seem to have taken their decision in the late fall and the reduced numbers will be shown more clearly in the April census data.

Numbers of pigs in the weight classes from weaning to slaughter were significantly down, indicative of the large increase in numbers being shipped to the USA. For Alberta, numbers in the <20kg, 20-60kg and >60g categories were all down about 11%, and similarly in Manitoba, where numbers fell by around 12%. In Saskatchewan, pigs in the 20-60kg category fell by a massive 18%, as the province’s two largest production companies continued to increase the number of pigs finished in the USA. 

While the January figures do not truly reflect the situation on the ground, they do show a trend towards a steady reduction in the national herd, which seems likely to continue for some time. With or without the federal Cull Breeding Swine Program, we are likely to see a further 10% reduction in sow numbers during 2008.

New government support includes cull sow program

Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Gerry Ritz, announced changes to the Agricultural Marketing Products Act (AMPA) at the end of February that will provide producers with better access to cash advances. He also announced a new sow cull program designed to assist producers who are either reducing their herds or exiting the industry altogether. Both the Canadian pork and beef sectors are now considered by the government to be facing “severe economic hardship” and therefore can qualify for emergency advances under the amended Act.

The requirement for livestock producers to use business risk management programs as security for cash advances has been removed and inventory values will be used instead.  This provision means that producers will not be limited by the value of their CAIS/Agri-Stability reference margin for the advance. Producers will also not have to use payments from these programs (such as interims, targeted advances or final CAIS/AgriStability payments) to repay the loans, unless they are in a default position.

The amendment has added “severe economic hardship” as a trigger for an emergency advance. When the “severe economic hardship” condition is declared, the requirement that the security for the advance be in first position is removed and the maximum amount of the advance raised to $400,000. The advance will be based on 50% of expected market price times the number of animals in inventory.

“Producers will have quicker and easier access to cash advances,” says Minister Ritz. “And, if all producers take advantage of the improved program, an estimated $3.3 billion in advance payments will be available.” 

“This is much needed help,” says Canadian Pork Council (CPC) president Clare Schlegel.

He notes, while this isn’t new money, the proposed changes to the APP will provide the breathing room livestock producers have been asking for. However he admits, “It doesn’t get us out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination but it is much needed help.”

In addition to these measures, a new $50 million Cull Breeding Program will provide support for hog producers taking steps to exit the industry or who permanently down size their operations. The objective is to reduce the national breeding herd by an additional ten percent over and above normal annual liquidations to more accurately reflect market conditions. Producers will be eligible for a per head payment for animals slaughtered and reimbursement for slaughter and disposal costs based on several conditions including that they depopulate at least one barn and not restock for three years.

 Sows and boars marketed from November 1, 2007 until the date when program applications become available will be eligible for a $225 payment per animal less the selling price received. The marketing of these animals is not subject to the restrictions for animals marketed after the applications become available, when slaughtered sows and boars must not enter the human food chain.  For the latest information, go to the CPC website, www.cpc-ccp.com

Provinces announce more help for livestock producers

 Western provincial governments have responded positively to requests for assistance from livestock producer organizations as the high price of feed and low market prices continue. In February, producers in Alberta received an additional payment under the Alberta Farm Recovery Plan (AFRP), which was designed to compensate all farmers, not just those with livestock, for the high feed, fuel and fertilizer costs.  Re-appointed Agriculture Minister George Groeneveld delighted pork producers attending the Alberta Pork Congress in March when he hinted that the AFRP would likely be extended for another year. 

 Manitoba’s Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Rosann Wowchuk also announced support for cattle and hog producers.  The province, through the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), is making $60 million in loan support available to hog producers at attractive interest rates, which will assist producers facing significant cash flow challenges. Producers will be able to borrow $35 per slaughter hog and $10 per weanling sold between October 1, 2007, and May 31, 2008. Loans will be termed over eight years with the maximum amount being $2.5 million.

Principal payments on these loans will be deferred for the first three years. The first year interest rate will be 2.25 per cent on borrowed amounts of up to $1.5 million with 4.5 per cent charged on any remaining loan amount. All loans will have an interest rate of 4.5 per cent for years two and three and six per cent for the last five years. An additional interest rate reduction of one per cent will be available for young farmers for the first three years.

 “The livestock industry in Manitoba and across Canada has been under significant pressure,” said Wowchuk. “Producers in Manitoba need assistance and our government is committed to ensuring our farmers in this important sector receive support to maintain their farm businesses today and position the sector for future profitability.”

Saskatchewan’s pig producers are being offered early access to their expected 2008 AgriStability payout under a Targeted Advance Payment (TAP) program.  The 2008 program announcement came two months after Saskatchewan pig farmers went public with notices received from the agriculture income stabilization (CAIS) office, saying the farmers’ TAPs from the 2007 AgriStability program were going to be much less than what the office had originally informed them they would receive or, in some cases, zero.

Little comfort from Hogs and Pigs Report

 The USDA Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report, released on March 28, provided little hope for pork producers in the USA and Canada, suggesting that there is going to be a lot more pork on the market than expected. Virtually all the inventory numbers set new records for March. All hogs and pigs came in at 65.909 million head, which is 6.5% more than last year and nearly 3% above pre-report estimates.  The breeding herd inventory was slightly larger than last year and the market herd saw a jump of 7.2% from last year to 59.77 million head, a much bigger jump than estimates had predicted. USDA also revised its 2008 pork production forecast by adding 90 million pounds to the first-quarter estimate to reflect higher-than-expected hog slaughter in February.

 First-quarter pork production is expected to be 5.96 billion pounds, a massive 10.5 percent above the same period last year.  Total commercial pork production in 2008 is expected to be 23.1 billion pounds, 5.4 percent above 2007.  First-quarter liveweight prices for 51-52 percent lean hogs are predicted to range between $40 and $41 per hundredweight, 12 percent below the same period a year ago.  Worse still, stocks of frozen pork on January 31, 2008 were 563.6 million pounds, 16 percent above year-earlier levels.  Continued build-up of cold stocks may signal a slowdown in pork demand.

 The one bright spot is that January 2008 pork exports were more than 353 million pounds, almost 27 percent above January 2007. 

 Kevin Greer, Senior Analyst at the George Morris Centre, says in his Alberta Pork Hog Market Report that, based on US forecasts and a par dollar, producers are in for a very difficult year. He predicts 110-index prices of $1.15-$1.20 per kilo in the second quarter, “over $1.30” in the third and a drift down to $1.15 to $1.20 in the last quarter of the year.

Smithfield to reduce sow herd by five percent

 Smithfield Foods announced in February that it will cut its US sow herd by 4-5% or 40,000 to 50,000 sows – a move that will ultimately result in production of 800,000 to 1 million fewer market hogs annually.  The company raises 18 million market hogs annually at present and said that it was introducing the changes immediately, although the effects on the number of pigs marketed will not be seen until early 2009.

 “Given the economics for raising hogs today, we cannot continue on the current path; something has to change,” said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer. “Grain costs continue at record levels, with the potential of escalating, given the current US government policy favouring corn for ethanol. Today the economics are very challenging, and we believe that these increased costs will translate eventually into still higher food costs for the American consumer. In the meantime, Smithfield is taking immediate action to improve the efficiencies of our live production operations.”

 Murphy-Brown, Smithfield’s production division, announced last year that it was moving towards group sow housing, which for existing farms, will likely result in fewer sow places, especially in those locations where the opportunity to construct additional space is limited. Also, in North Carolina, changes to environmental regulations may lead to the need to reduce animal numbers. Therefore, although Smithfield cites economic conditions as the reason for the cutbacks, it seems likely that these factors played a major role in their decision.

 “Other hog producers will likely follow Smithfield’s lead and trim production,” believes Ron Plain, agricultural economist at the University of Missouri.  Also, he suggests, more cutbacks will be needed to push hog prices high enough to cover production costs. “This is not enough of a cutback to turn things around,” he said of Smithfield’s action.

European prices on the turn as pig numbers plummet

 The European average pig price increased by about 10% in the first quarter of 2008 and industry commentators expect further rises to continue as pig numbers throughout the region fall. There is hope that this signals a return to profitability for producers, whose costs have soared due to increases in feed prices. Census figures published so far this year show reductions of up to 10% in pig numbers. In Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland the sow herd fell by 10-11%, between December 2006 and December 2007. Data from Northern Ireland show an 8% reduction in sow and gilt numbers, while reports from Europe’s largest pig producing nations – Spain, Germany and Denmark – also suggest significant herd reductions.

 Despite the promise of better times to come, half of Denmark’s pig producers are at risk of going out of business in the next two years, according to Henrik Jeppesen of the country’s Fionia Bank.  Producers are concerned that his view by could be an expression of no faith in the ability of producers to survive the current shakeout in the European pig industry.  They fear that, if the bank starts a credit squeeze, producers will not be able to invest in new housing and equipment and that could signal Danish production grinding to a standstill.  A Danish Bacon and Meat Council spokesman is quoted as saying that during second half of this year there will again be enough profit for Danish pig farmers to “cover their expenses”.

 Meanwhile British producer organization, the National Pig Association, continues its creative campaign to persuade the country’s retailers to pay producers more for their pigs, while increasing public awareness of the situation the industry is in. In February, a group of producers took to the recording studio to record the song “Stand by your ham”, which received massive publicity around the world. Then, in early March, this was followed up with a rally in London, when around 1000 producers and supporters lobbied MPs and received a high profile in the media (see Stuart Lumb’s article in The View from Europe in this issue)

Incorporation of oats into swine diets

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Introduction

The high fibre content of oats, which are widely grown in Western Canada, has historically limited their use as an energy source in swine rations. In fact, oats have been shown to have approximately 10% less digestible energy (DE) than barley and 17% and 19% less DE than wheat and corn respectively. However, a recent seminar given at the Western Nutrition Conference in Saskatoon (September, 2007) showed that grower and finisher pigs can be fed diets containing up to 25% oats without compromising growth performance. 

This article will review the nutritional profile of oats and will provide recommendations for how oats can be used in swine diets to reduce feeding costs while maintaining performance.

An overview of oats

Canada is the second largest producer of oats (3.3mt) after Russia (4.6mt), but before the USA (1.7mt), Poland (1.2mt) and Finland (1.2mt). Oats are a common crop in Canada and conditions in Manitoba are thought to be ideal. Oats were the third most important crop in the US but are currently in decline.

In comparison to other cereals, oats have a high fibre content as the hull comprises about 23% of the whole grain. Thus, they are lower in energy value than other cereals, making them a popular cereal for ruminants and horses, but traditionally less so for poultry and pigs. Additionally, the nutritional composition varies widely with variety, climate and fertilization. 

Oats have a high oil level and relatively good protein quality compared with other cereals. The fibre fraction is highly lignified, resulting in reduced digestibility. The soluble fibre in oats is largely due to non-digestible b-glucans located primarily in the endosperm cell wall. In general, oat fibre has a low water holding capacity and is therefore not particularly good at reducing constipation in monogastric animals.

Table 1: Nutritional composition of oats in comparison to barley

                                         Nutrient                                  Barley                Oats

                          Dry matter (%)                      87                    87

                          Crude protein (%)                  9.5                  10.5

                          Crude Fibre (%)                    4.7                  11.6

                          NDF (%)                              17.5                 38.4

                          Oil (%)                                 1.7                   5.2

                          Ash (%)                                2.2                   2.5

                          DE (MJ/kg)                           13                  11.0

                          NE (MJ/kg)                            9.6                   8.2

        Source: Atlas & INRA, 2002

The feeding value of oats

As with other high fibre ingredients, the feeding value of oats is best determined by assessing how inclusion affects the overall diet’s fibre level. This is because, as fibre increases, the transit rate of digesta through the gut of pigs decreases, resulting in a reduction in performance through reduced digestibility and increased mucus production. As a result of this, oats must be limit fed depending on the animal’s stage of development.

Table 2: Potential savings when including oats into various hog rations

Stage of                  No oats           Oats at % limit           Savings           Recommended

animal                    ($/MT)                   ($/MT)                 ($/MT)           maximum oat limit

                                                                                                                        (% of diet)

Grower pigs                $235                         $228                         $7                             25

Finisher pigs                $229                         $222                         $7                             25

Dry sows                    $222                         $217                         $5                             20

Diets assume the following prices/MT: Wheat $215; Barley $205; Soya $300; Oats $170.

Table 2 shows that there is a potential to save on feeding costs but that the highest savings can be realized with growing and finishing pigs. Due to limited research examining the nutritional value of oats within sow diets, a conservative limit of 20% is recommended.  Assuming a herd size of 250 sows, farrow to finish, this could equate to a feed savings of approximately $660 per month or $8000 per year.

Oats and Net Energy

An important point to remember is that higher oat inclusion only works when diets are formulated to net energy (NE) and digestible amino acids. Again, this is because of the high fibre percentage, because diets formulated to ME or DE will decrease in NE as oat levels increase. Reducing NE through inclusion of high fibre ingredients has been shown time and again to reduce performance. 

Table 3: Effect of dietary level of oats on grower and finisher pig growth performance^{1, 2}

                                                                                Level of oats (%)

                                                0                            25                          50                 P-value

Grower (27.5 – 67.5kg)    

      Daily gain (kg)                   0.83                       0.83                       0.85                 0.67

      Daily intake (kg)                1.88                       1.87                       1.89                 0.85

      FCR                                  2.27                       2.26                       2.25                 0.78

      NE                                    2027                      2025                      2041

      NE w/out tallow                 n/a                         1991                      1955

Finisher (67.5 – 80kg)

      Daily gain (kg)                   1.16                       1.16                       1.17                 0.78

      Daily intake (kg)                2.89^a                      2.84^a                      3.08^b                0.01

      FCR                                  2.51                       2.49                       2.70                 0.06

      NE                                    2033                      2058                      2075

      NE w/out tallow                 n/a                         1997                      1960

¹ Source: Zalinko et al., 2007 Proc. W. Nutr. Conf. pp 253

² Values within a row not sharing similar superscripts differ significantly

 One should note that in the study outlined in Table 3, NE levels were balanced by inclusion of tallow. If this had been ignored the amount of energy each pig consumed per kg of gain would have been sub-optimal and growth would have deteriorated. However, if tallow or vegetable oil cannot be handled in a given on-farm mixing system, adequate levels of dietary energy can be obtained by using wheat or corn with similar financial savings being realized.

Some points to consider 

What are the nutrient levels?

 It is generally a good idea to send a sample of your oats for nutrient analysis. This will allow for more accurate formulation and will prevent the feeding of rations containing excess amounts of NDF (Neutral Detergent Fibre).

Will you be pelleting your feed?  

Oats tend to give a poorer pellet quality than other cereals because the fibrous husk tends to give pellets fracture lines. Thus, one should consider limiting oats to 7.5% of the diet and apply a fine grind if pellets are manufactured.

Should you include an enzyme?

 In Europe, where high fibre ingredients such as mill run are commonly used in pig rations, so too are enzymes. However, inclusion costs of enzymes in North America are much higher than in Europe, which typically limits their addition into starter rations.

 So does it make financial sense to use an enzyme? A recent article published by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan examined the effect of supplementing grower and finisher diets containing 40% oats with a mixed β-glucanase / xylanase enzyme product. The study showed that crude protein, dry matter and gross energy digestibilities all increased by 3% as a result of enzyme supplementation. If enzyme inclusion costs approximately $3/tonne, nutrient digestibility would have to improve by around 2% to break even. Based on this study, and many other enzyme focused studies, it would seem likely that enzyme inclusion would make economic sense when diets are formulated to contain high levels of oats. 

Conclusions

 Inclusion of oats at the levels recommended in this article is nutritionally and economically viable. However, in order to reap these benefits, one must be mindful of the method of formulation being applied to their rations. The NE system combined with digestible amino acids currently used by Nutrition Partners is a good way of ensuring the risk of reduced nutrient digestibility and animal performance is minimized.