Livestock FeedingAnS 320

“Swine Feeding and Management”Lecture #1

Dr. John F. PatienceDepartment of Animal Science

201B Kildee HallPhone: 294-5132

Email: jfp@iastate.edu

PRODUCTION CONTINUUM

Breeding

Farrowing

Nursery

Growout

What occurs in one phase of production often affects outcomes in later phases.

OrDiagnosing problems in one phase of production often requires consideration of

what is happening in earlier phases.

Feeding and Management: Sows

Framework for Developing Feeding Programs

Feeding Program

Nutrient Supply

Nutrient Requirements

ProfitabilityPork

Quality Sustainability

Functional Properties

Life cycle feeding

Gestation feeding affects: Sow condition at farrowing Feed intake during lactation

Sows that get too fat in gestation eat less in lactation

Piglet birth weight Response is very small

Cost of feeding the breeding herd Feeding too much feed or too rich a diet increases feed costs

with no benefits, possibly detriments

Well-being of the sow Thin sows are easily chilled and more susceptible for illness

Life cycle feeding

Lactation feeding affects: Sow condition at weaning

Affects subsequent reproduction

Litter weaning weights Sows will “milk off their back” but this is both inefficient and

ineffective, compared to feeding the sow correctly

Cost of feeding the breeding herd Feeding too much feed or too rich a diet increases feed costs

with no benefits, possibly detriments

Well-being of the sow Thin sows are easily chilled and more susceptible for illness

Feeding and Management: Gestation

Example Gestation DietsMixed parity diet Young parity

dietOld parity

dietIngredient Corn-soy diet Soy hull diet

Corn or milo 1,626 1,548 1,548 1,617

Soybean meal, 46.5% CP 291 271 271 202

Soy hulls --- 100 100 100

Monocalcium phosphate, 21% P

32 31 31 29

Limestone 28 27 27 29

Salt 10 10 10 10

Vitamin premix with phytase 5 5 5 5

Trace mineral premix 3 3 3 3

Sow add pack 5 5 5 5

Total 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000

Example Gestation DietsMixed parity diet Young

parity dietOld parity

dietCalculated analysis Corn-soy diet Soy hull diet

TID Lysine, % 0.56 0.55 0.55 0.46

Total lysine, % 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.55

TID Lysine:ME ratio, g/Mcal 1.71 1.71 1.71 1.44

TID Methionine:lysine ratio,% 38 38 38 41

TID Met & Cys:lysine ratio, % 78 78 78 85

TID Threonine:lysine ratio, % 76 76 76 80

TID Tryptophan:lysine ratio, % 23 22 22 23

ME, kcal/lb 1,484 1,451 1,451 1,451

Protein, % 13.7 13.4 13.4 12.1

Calcium, % 0.90 0.90 0.90 0.90

Phosphorus, % 0.66 0.64 0.64 0.61

Available phosphorus, % 0.39 0.38 0.38 0.35

Available phosphorus equiv, %a 0.45 0.44 0.44 0.42aThe available phosphorus equivalency includes the phosphorus release due to inclusion of phytase in the vitamin premix.

Gestation feeding challenges1. Optimize lifetime sow productivity, as a means of

maximizing herd profitability2. Over-feeding sows in gestation reduces feed

intake in lactation3. Under-feeding sows in gestation impairs

reproductive performance and animal well-being (shoulder sores)

4. Avoid mycotoxins; this may be the worst place to feed mycotoxin contaminated feed

Gestation feeding targets1. Body condition score between 3 and 3.5 – for ALL

sows (on a 5-point scale) Avoid sows that are too fat or too thin

2. Backfat levels of 0.75” to 0.80” at farrowing (measured at last rib, 2.5” to 3.0” off the midline) Avoid bf less than 0.55” at weaning

3. Adjust feed intake according to body weight and backfat

4. Very thin sows have higher maintenance energy requirements, because they have lower insulation levels and are often more active.

Gestation feeding program1. Sows must be limit fed during gestation;

otherwise they become too fat2. Do not feed more than 4 to 5 lb per day for the

first 3 weeks after breeding; excess intake lowers fetal survival

3. Feed 4.0 to 4.5 lb of a corn-soybean meal diet per day, adjusting as required for body condition

4. Increase feed allowance by 2 lb during the last 21 days of gestation Increases gut capacity to support maximum intake in

lactation Recognizes that most fetal growth occurs during the

final 3 weeks of gestation. Exception if over-fat sows

Limit feeding gestating sows Easily accomplished in gestation stalls

Automatic drops MUST be calibrated regularly, to ensure the sow is receiving what you think she should be receiving.

More difficult to achieve in group housing systems Key rule: to successfully feed sows in group housed gestation,

remove competition for feed. The greater the competition among sows for feed, the less successful the housing system will be.

Options: Electronic sow feeders Walk-in-lock-in feeding stalls Trickle feeders Floor feeding, with multiple drops, spreading out supply of

feed throughout the pen. Including dividers within the pen helps

Feeding Levels (lb/day) For Gestating Sows Based on Backfat and Weight Category at Breeding

Flank to flank, in

Estimated weight, lb

Backfat at breeding, mm (in)9-11

(.35-.43)12-14

(.47-.55)15-17

(.59-.67)> 18 (.71)

< 36.3 < 325 5.0 (.20)

4.4 (.17)

3.9 (.15)

3.4 (.13)

36.4 - 39.2 325 - 400 5.5 (.22)

5.0 (.20)

4.4 (.17)

3.9 (.15)

39.3 - 41.8 400 - 475 5.9 (.23)

5.4 (.21)

4.9 (.19)

4.3 (.17)

41.9 - 44.0 475 - 550 6.4 (.25)

5.9 (.23)

5.4 (.21)

4.8 (.20)

> 44.0 550 - 650 6.9 (.27)

6.4 (.25)

5.8 (.23)

5.3 (.21)

Based on a diet containing 1,500 kcal ME/lb (corn-soybean meal).

Feeding and Management: Lactation

Example Lactation DietsTID Lysine, %

Ingredient, lb/ton 0.80 0.85 0.90 0.95 1.00 1.05

Corn 1,435 1,395 1,356 1,316 1,277 1,238

Soybean meal, 46.5% CP 486 526 566 605 645 685

Choice white greasea 0-5% 0-5% 0-5% 0-5% 0-5% 0-5%

Monocalcium Phosphate, 21% P 28.5 28.5 28 28 28 27.5

Limestone 28 27.5 27.5 27.5 27 27

Salt 10 10 10 10 10 10

Vitamin premix with phytase 5 5 5 5 5 5

Trace mineral premix 3 3 3 3 3 3

Sow add pack 5 5 5 5 5 5

Total 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000

a If adding fat, substitute for grain on an equal weight basis

Example Lactation DietsCalculated analysisTID Lysine, % 0.80 0.85 0.90 0.95 1.00 1.05Total Lysine, % 0.91 0.97 1.02 1.08 1.13 1.19TID Lysine:ME ratio, g/Mcal 2.35 2.49 2.64 2.79 2.93 3.08TID Methionine:lysine ratio, % 32 31 30 30 29 28TID Met & Cys:lysine ratio, % 65 64 62 61 60 59TID Threonine:lysine ratio, % 69 68 68 67 66 66TID Tryptophan:lysine ratio, % 22 22 22 22 22 22ME, kcal/lb 1,547 1,547 1,547 1,547 1,547 1,547Protein, % 17.1 17.9 18.7 19.4 20.2 20.9Calcium, % 0.90 0.90 0.90 0.90 0.90 0.90Phosphorus, % 0.66 0.67 0.67 0.68 0.69 0.69Available phosphorus, % 0.36 0.37 0.36 0.37 0.37 0.37Available phosphorus equiv, %b 0.48 0.48 0.48 0.48 0.48 0.48

bThe available phosphorus equivalency includes the phosphorus release due to inclusion of phytase in the vitamin premix.

Feed intake

One of the greatest challenges in feeding the nursing sow is maximizing feed intake Low feed intake leads to low nutrient intake Low nutrient intake leads to:

Lower weaning weights Loss of sow body condition Increased sow culling Impaired rebreeding and subsequent litter size

Effects of Lactation Feeding Level on Litter and Pig Performance

Lactation FeedingItem Restricted Ad libitum SED Probability, P <No. of litters 38 40 --- ---Pigs/litter d 3 (start creep) 11.0 10.9 0.3 0.75 d 21 10.4 10.4 0.3 0.93Mortality, % 5.9 5.3 1.8 0.76Litter weight, lb d 3 (start creep) 39.3 38.6 1.4 0.53 d 21 125.1 132.6 4.5 0.10Litter BW gain, lb Total 94.7 102.9 3.9 0.04 ADG 5.20 5.64 0.21 0.04

NB – Restricted were fed 25% less than ab libitum

Lactation feeding program

Small amount of feed on day of farrowing Hungry sows are restless and more likely to over-lay piglets Sows typically will not eat much feed; farrowing room is very

warm and fed deteriorates quickly Day 1 – 2: Limit fed modestly; do not want to limit feed

very much Days 3+: Keep fresh feed in front of the sows at all times

Feeding Strategy for Lactating SowsNumber of 4-pound scoops to feed at each feeding from day 0 to 2 of lactation

Feeding

Feed in feeder AM PM

Empty 1 1

< 2 lb 0 0.5

> 2 lb 0 0

Number of 4-pound scoops to feed at each feeding from day 2 to weaning

Feeding

Feed in feeder AM Noon PM

Empty 2 2 2

< 2 lb 1 1 1

> 2 lb 0 0 1

Factors affecting feed intake - 1 Feed delivery

Pigs cannot eat feed that isn’t in front of them! By the 3rd day of lactation, sows should have feed in front of them all of the time

Feeding 3 to 4 times per day is preferred to feeding once or twice.

Density of the diet Pigs eat more of a low density (low energy) diet, up to the

volumetric capacity of their stomach

Temperature High temperature discourages feed intake; low temperature

encourages feed intake If the temperature is too cold, or conditions are drafty and damp,

part of the energy consumed by the sow will be needed to maintain thermal homeostasis

Factors affecting feed intake - 2 Genetics

Some lines of pigs have a naturally higher appetite. If using a low appetite line of pigs, even greater attention must be directed at maximizing feed intake

Palatability It is important to note that the important factor here is what the

pig considers palatable, not what the producer “thinks” is palatable.

Nutrient balance Imbalances among, for example, amino acids will reduce feed

intake

Body condition and reproductive cycle feeding If sows are overfed in gestation, they will accrue more body fat

and this tends to impair feed intake during lactation

Factors affecting feed intake - 3 Feeder design

Large feed troughs tend to increase feed intake Wet/dry feeders tend to increase feed intake

Access to water Water is particularly critical to a lactating sow A sow weaning 11 piglets at 3 weeks of age weighing 13 lb will be

producing an average of 2.5 gallons of milk per day!

Fibre in lactation diets Nursing sows are susceptible to constipation Constipation can be treated by using:

Fiber Wheat midds (±20%) Soybean hulls (±10%) Alfalfa meal (±25%) Sugar beet pulp (7±%) Oats (±20%)(Risk: Use of fibrous ingredients will lower diet energy density and

may compromise sow’s ability to consume sufficient energy Chemical laxatives

MgSO4 (Epsom salts: 30 lb/ton) NaSO4 (Glauber salts: 60 lb/ton)(Risk: Chemical laxatives are harsh; should be used carefully)

Lactation feeding quandary In order to maximize sow feed intake, she wants the room

kept as cool as possible In order to maximize piglet growth and well-being, they

want the room to be kept very warm If the room is kept too cool for the piglets, they will huddle

with the sow, increasing the risk of being over-lain Increased mortality due to overlays is often related to a room

temperature that is too cool

CompromiseKeep the farrowing room temperature elevated during

farrowing and the first 24 to 36 hours post-farrowing, to get the piglets off to a good start.

Lower the temperature to 68 to 72⁰F thereafter and provide zone heating for the piglets

Feed intake declines by about 0.2 lb/d per ⁰F above 68⁰F