Nutritional Management of Grow-Finish Pigs: Energy and Feed Efficiency
Feed efficiency depends on many feed composition factors such as amino acid concentration, energy, and nutrient balance. Environmental factors also have a large influence. Feeder space allowance impacts growth and feed intake, with more feeder space increasing final body weight and daily gain. More attention...
Minimizing and Managing Ingredients Variability
Variation in nutrient composition of ingredients in livestock feeds needs to be understood to continue with efficient pork production. Ingredients are inconsistent, but feed manufacturers are still expected to produce consistent diets. Buyers and sellers affect the cost and risk associated with variation. If the...
A Revolution in Feed Management
Precision feeding technique technology is being developed for feeding pigs daily on an individual basis, maximizing their growth. Phase feeding programs feed based on targeted averages; with faster pigs often being underfeed and slow-growing pigs being overfed. When feeding individual pigs their daily needs, nitrogen...
The Overall Response of Piglets to Phase One Diets During the First Two Weeks in the Nursery is Not Affected by Creep Feeding or Weaning Weight
As litter size continues to increase, the number of small pigs also rises. It is crucial to ensure survival of these piglets or there are no benefits to larger litters. Immediately after post-weaning, many problems such as poor growth rate, low feed consumption and an...
Focus on Feed Efficiency in Pork Production
Up to 70% of the variable cost of production can be attributed to feed. Having better feed efficiency can largely impact the feed cost per pig. Social, environmental, immunological and management scenarios should be considered when examining feed efficiency. The “Focus on Feed Efficiency” webinar...
Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Modulate the Immune Response of Pigs?
The most stressful time in a piglet’s life is weaning. The numerous amounts of stressors present contribute to the post-weaning growth lag which can lead to anorexia and immune reactions. Nutritional strategies may help improve performance when weaning, using techniques such as novel ingredients, highly...
Ractopamine Hydrochloride and the Environmental Sustainability of Pork Production
Ammonia has odour and environmental implications so the excretion of nitrogen is problematic as this is the main form. Paylean® with ractopamine hydrochloride as its active ingredient improves average daily gain, carcass lean growth and feed efficiency when added to finishing swine diets. Ractopamine may...
Ractopamine, at 5 or 10 mg/kg Increases Protein Deposition in the Carcass
Paylean® is used in the swine industry to increase growth rate, carcass lean deposition and feed efficiency. Its active ingredient is ractopamine hydrochloride. At 5 mg/kg, ractopamine improved carcass quality and growth performance. Paylean may also be able to reduce the environmental impact of pork...
Feeding Co-Extruded Flaxseed to Pigs: Effects of Duration and Feeding Level on Growth Performance and Backfat Fatty Acid Composition of Grow-Finish Pigs
Feeding flaxseed to pigs has been used to increase omega-3 fatty acid levels in pork as flaxseed is the richest oilseed source of omega-3. Health benefits to the consumer may be noted such as reducing risk of disease. Feeding flax co-extruded with field peas may...
Impact of Piglet Birth Weight on the Eating Quality of Pork
The larger the litter size, the smaller the birth weight of the piglet is. Fewer total muscle fibres are noted in low birth weight piglets and at market weight they often have larger fibres which may affect the eating quality. Birth weight does not have...