This calculator was built as a tool for nutritionists to understand the impact of varying branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) levels on nursery pig growth performance.

Order forms for feed premix and detailed diet recommendations.

The Swine Nutrition Guide serves as a reference for understanding of swine nutrition principles and to provide the current recommendations and practices regarding applied nutrition to the swine industry.

Enhance the understanding of basic nutrition, feeding principles and related management practices and be able to estimate the nutritional needs of pigs by considering specific factors that affect nutrient recommendations.

Nutrient Requirements of Swine represents a comprehensive review of the most recent information available on swine nutrition and ingredient composition that will allow efficient, profitable, and environmentally conscious swine production.

Answers to popular questions about nutrient strategies for producers managing pork market disruptions.

Humanely reduce feed intake, or energy and/or nutrient intake, in order to slow or suspend growth until the problem is resolved. 

This tool can help producers extend on-hand feed supply by restricting feeding group housed pigs. This tool can be used as a guide to estimate daily pen feed allowance utilizing two input factors. 

Having a daily feed supply available for sows, piglets, and market pigs is important for their growth and general well-being. Unexpected incidents can derail your plan to have a timely feed supply. While some incidents are unforeseeable, all events can be minimized through contingency planning.

Grain accounts for the majority of cost in finishing swine. Particle size of grain has a significant impact on feed efficiency.  Nutritionists and consultants recommend frequent particle size analysis to fine tune feeding programs.

Feed efficiency numbers can be influenced by so many factors that interpreting them can be difficult and that there is a great risk in over-simplifying the many things in the barn that can alter feed efficiency.  Furthermore, the best feed efficiency is not necessarily going to lead to the highest net income.

The mature frame size of the genetics is an important factor in feed efficiency near market weight.  Early maturing pigs enter the less efficient fattening phase at a lighter final weight.   Modern high lean genetics typically stay in the lean growth phase longer.

Pig performance, including feed efficiency, is maximized when animals are kept within their thermoneutral zone.  When describing the environmental conditions that the animal is raised in, it is important to realize that there are several factors influencing pig comfort.

Rate of protein deposition is the main determinant of dietary amino acid requirements of growing pigs and is closely associated with feed efficiency and carcass quality.

The direct influence of sow herd feed efficiency should be analyzed by phase of production (gestation, lactation, and gilt development), but also account for parity differences and record standards (such as calculation of pigs/sow/year or when to enter the replacement gilt into the record system).

One of the factors that influence feed efficiency is how pigs access feed via the feeder. Feeder design primarily impacts feed efficiency by affecting the pigs’ access to feed and feed wastage.

Paylean has become a widely used feed additive in the swine industry for market swine due to such benefits as improved average daily gain, improved feed efficiency, increased carcass leanness and improved nitrogen and water utilization.

It is important to remember that the genetic composition of each market hog is derived equally from the sire and from the dame of the pigs.

While numerous benefits are documented for feeding pigs pelleted feed, adoption has been mainly limited to large producers who own their own feed mill or those close to a large commercial pellet mill to justify the extra cost. However, with the increased cost of feed ingredients, the economics of pelleting are becoming much more favorable.

Feed efficiency is typically measured in commercial operations by comparing amount of weight gain of the pigs relative to the amount of feed provided.  The energy supplied by the feed is a main factor in producing weight gain. Thus, dietary energy has a large effect on feed efficiency.  Also, dietary energy may affect carcass characteristics that are not considered in this fact sheet.

The optimal particle size is influenced by the age of pig and diet form (pellet or meal).  Pigs of all ages benefit from smaller micron feed.

Break F/G into the two factors: Feed disappearance and ADG and investigate whether the poor F/G is associated with high feed disappearance, low ADG, or both.

A variety of tools and calculators for swine producers.

Examples of nursery feeder adjustment and pan coverage.

Feed efficiency/lactation performance may be increased by: controlling back fat (management/long term feeding), maximizing milk produced directly from feed, avoiding under and oversupply of directory CP (and AA's), and adding xylanase to the feed.

Pigs selected for efficiency based on RFI are: calmer and less fearful, less responsive to physiological stress, less affected by PRRS infection, have a more effective efficient immune response, not more affected by heat stress, better able to withstand the stresses of gestation and lactation, better able to direct resources where needed, greater “metabolic flexibility”, and  are less affected by environmental differences.

Key areas of opportunity to enhance FE in pigs: digestion and nutrient/energy retention, tissue accretion and protein turnover, oxidative stress, lowering maintenance requirements, appetite regulation and feed frequency as it relates body composition/metabolism.

Swine producers or feed manufacturers who would like their grain or feed analyzed for particle size can send grain or feed for analysis.

When there is a nutritionally relevant issue on a farm and biological samples need to be sent to the diagnostic laboratory, it is common to send the samples in the mail overnight.

Collecting a blood sample is a minimally invasive procedure. However, a basic understanding of blood components and sampling equipment can help ensure accurate and appropriate sampling. Certain factors should be considered prior to submitting a blood sample for analysis.

If concern arises about a possible nutritional deficiency or toxicity in a swine diet, a feed or biological sample can help identify the issue. Since neither feed nor biological tissues are fully homogenous in character, the source of the sample must be accurately portrayed. This means it is imperative to take a suitable and representative sample that accurately represents the parameter of interest and its source.

Grain that does not reach maturity or is stressed during the growing season (weather, nutrients, disease, weed competition) may be more prone to quality issues, and thus require different considerations for handling and storage. This publication is intended for swine producers who grow corn and manufacture feed on-farm, feed mills, and nutritionists.

The introduction of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) in 2013 into the US swine industry pointed toward feed ingredients as the likely route of introduction. Subsequent research trials have documented viruses can survive in feed ingredients and complete feed for transoceanic shipping (30 and 37 days) and transcontinental shipping (23 days.)

A feed mixing uniformity test evaluates the uniformity of ingredient dispersion in a batch of feed. This paper focuses on the testing procedure for a mixer in good repair, operating with standard mixing times and standard (full) batch capacities. It acknowledges that the particle size of each ingredient and the sequence in which these ingredients are added into each feed batch can impact their dispersion.

In the event of supply chain disruptions in which feed trucks cannot access grow-finish sites for a variety of reasons, this tool can help producers extend on-hand feed supply by restricting feeding group housed pigs. (Enable macros).

Charts and procedures for feeding by flank-to-flank measurement.

The potential for a successful sow starts well before the sow is first bred. Learn how to improve sow longevity by focusing on the gilt from weaning until the time of first breeding.

The importance of water in swine production cannot be overstated, as it is essential for normal metabolic function and is the nutrient consumed in the largest quantity by pigs. Water also is critical for regulating body temperature, excreting waste, and is required to maximize feed consumption. Therefore, insuring pigs have access to water adequate in both quality and quantity is paramount.