Energy value of wheat distillers grains with solubles for growing pigs and adult sows

Posted in: Energy, Production by admin on July 26, 2011 | No Comments

Two experiments were conducted to determine the total tract digestibility of energy and the DE and ME values of 10 European wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) fed to growing pigs and adult sows. The wheat DDGS were obtained from European ethanol plants and selected to get a large variability. One control diet, based on wheat (87.2%), soybean meal (10.0%), and minerals and vitamins, and 10 experimental diets prepared from the control diet and 25% each of the 10 sources of DDGS, were fed to 66 crossbred barrows (6 per diet) according to a factorial arrangement or 6 adult sows according to a pseudo Latin square design. Animals were placed in metabolism cages that allowed for the total, but separate, collection of feces and urine for 8 to 10 d after a 7- to 11-d adaptation period. By subtracting the contribution from the control diet in the DDGS-containing diets (i.e., difference method), N and GE digestibilities and DE and ME values for each source of DDGS were calculated. The energy digestibility in wheat DDGS averaged 66.5% (56.3 to 76.0%) and 71.2% (59.7 to 78.2%) in growing pigs and adult sows, respectively. Consequently, average (range) DE values of DDGS were 14.0 (11.8 to 16.2) and 14.9 (12.5 to 16.4) MJ/kg of DM for growing pigs and adult sows, respectively. Our data show that DE content of wheat DDGS can be predicted from their ADF content or from the lightness score (L). By excluding the dark and overheated samples (L <50) with the least energy digestibility and DE values, the average energy digestibility values were 69.5 and 74.4% in growing pigs and adult sows, respectively, with corresponding DE values of 14.6 and 15.6 MJ/kg DM, which are more representative of a well-controlled process for DDGS preparation. The negative effect of L on energy value and energy digestibility indicates that the occurrence of Maillard reactions should be reduced to maximize the energy value of wheat DDGS for pigs. 

For more information the full article can be found at http://jas.fass.org/

Net energy of soybean oil and choice white grease in diets fed to growing and finishing pigs

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For more information the full article can be found at http://jas.fass.org/

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 – 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.

Comparison of different prediction equations to measure net energy content of feedstuffs

Posted in: Energy, Pork Insight Articles by admin on May 8, 2011 | No Comments

The abstract for a study comparing the French, German, and Dutch net energy equations to actual net energy calculations. All three equations accurately predicted the effects of gender, body weight, and feed intake, but the effect of protein varied by equation. The French equation was similar to measured net energy, but net energy was 25% greater than the German or Dutch equations.

Rethinking Pig Barn Design

Posted in: Economics, Energy, Pork Insight Articles, Production by admin on March 30, 2011 | No Comments

Increasing energy costs and stricter environmental regulations mean a more efficient, sustainable barn design is needed. More efficient heating, lighting, and ventilation equipment can help to reduce energy use, but designs that consider environmental and animal performance impacts are more intensive. An integrated system of environmental control, manure management, and feed delivery and storage will allow for greater efficiency and animal performance than individual parts. Energy use is generally evaluated on a per pig basis, but this does not always accurately indicate performance and efficiency. A more accurate measure of energy use would be to measure on per weight of meat produced. Rather than focusing on single inputs and outputs, systems should be designed and evaluated based on animal performance. Temperature can affect weight gain and feed efficiency in pigs, so having the optimal temperature is important to have good performance. Hot temperatures can cause heat stress, reduced gain, and more fat deposition. Manure handling affects air quality within the barn and emissions outside of the barn. Scraper systems have an advantage for manure handling as they reduce emissions, reduce the risk of hazardous gases within the barn, and would be suitable for use with an on-site anaerobic digester. During hot conditions, cooling is necessary to maintain performance, and floor cooling will keep pigs dunging in the right areas for partially slatted floors. An evaporative system reduces the need for ventilation by 1/3, and a geothermal system by 2/3. Creating more efficient building concepts requires larger capital input, so any designs would have to be offset by increased pig performance.

Energy and Ventilation Management Issues in U.S. Pig Buildings

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The swine barns in the Midwestern US are typically ventilated by curtain sided system (CS), or through tunnel ventilation (TV). The project Reducing the Environmental Footprint of Swine Buildings has set out guidelines to retrofit these buildings to a more efficient system. These systems use around 70% of the energy needed by the barn. Some of the general suggestions to reduce energy use include fan maintenance, switching to more efficient fans, properly sized minimum ventilation fans, proper temperature set points, proper heater set points and sizing, insulation and draft reduction, and reduce wind pressure on fans. Specifically for CS and TV barns, bubble wrap insulation can be used for walls, end walls and exhaust fans should be insulated, pit exhaust fans can be relocated, deep pits should be pumped twice a year, the L.P. Gas Heater settings can be changed, and the fewest fans possible for winter minimum ventilation should be used. For CS barns, the mechanical ventilation capacity can be increased to also save energy. Cooling systems in CS and TV barns are often sprinklers and circulation fans, but evaporative cooling pads or evaporative misting of air can be used as well.

Ventilation Management

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Air quality has an impact in pig performance and worker environment, but over-ventilation can result in wasted energy expenditure. Heating should be provided in cold climate, otherwise air quality will drop if ventilation is lowered, or pig performance will drop as they divert resources to maintaining body temperature. However, heat can often end up being wasted due to oversized fans, too high of a fan speed, high temperature settings, or an oversized heater. Ways to save energy while maintaining the ventilation and heat balance are to run more fans at a lower setting, to allow a second fan to engage prematurely, to replace old fans, and to maintain and manage existing systems to keep them running efficiently.

Energy Management

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Energy prices have been volatile and increasing, and are expected to continue increasing, so energy savings can help producers reduce costs. Energy use in barns is mainly through heating, lighting, ventilation, and pumps and motors associated with other tasks, like feed transport. Ventilation fan motors represent the largest energy requirement, and improperly set temperatures can result in wasted heat from overrun ventilation. Fluorescent bulbs or T8 fixtures can significantly reduce energy requirements for lighting, as can replacing creep lights with electric heat mats. Drafts should be sealed, and insulation sufficient and upgraded if it is not. An energy audit can help identify which are most problematic, and additional ways to reduce energy use. Alternative options to reduce energy include tree windbreaks, solar walls, and heat exchangers.