Feeding swine hulless barley
Agriculture Canada’s Brandon research centre and the University of Manitoba’s department of animal science have initiated a two-year study on ways of improving the nutritional value of hulless barley for swine through enzyme and amino acid supplements
Results should lead to changes in diet formulations that may improve production.
Hulless barley is a relatively new crop for the Canadian prairies. The hulls are loosely attached to the seed kernel and are easily removed during threshing. Removing the hull decreases the fibre content and increases the digestible energy level of the grain. Hulless barley is also high in protein and contains more of the essential amino acids than either conventional hulled barley or wheat.
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In addition, manure produced from feeding hulless barley to pigs is significantly reduced because of its low fibre content. This can be an important environmental consideration.
Although beta-glucan levels are relatively low in hulless barley, they can interfere with energy use in swine. In poultry, the adverse effects of beta-glucan can be eliminated by adding proper enzyme supplements, such as beta-glucanase, to the feed. Swine may also benefit from using these enzyme additives. As well, the nutritive value of hulless barley may be improved by supplementing essential amino acids for an ideal protein balance.
Work at Brandon involves two phases. One will determine the beneficial effects of supplementing hulless barley diets, based on the Falcon variety, with a new beta-glucanase enzyme and with the amino acids Iysine, threonine, methionine and tryptophan.
The other phase will examine changes in digestibility of energy and protein (nitrogen) that occur in hulless barley diets supplemented with proper enzymes and amino acids.
– Agriculture Canada
Growth stall-outs
Occasionally there are periods when pigs seem to grow so slowly they appear to be standing still. Checking this may avoid slowdowns in cash flow and congestion in the barn.
When pigs are growing poorly, several signs may be present and the growth stall-out can be traced to an environmental, feed or disease problem.
Pigs most severely affected by stall-outs caused by disease will have droopy heads and tend to stand to the side of the pen. They don’t compete aggressively for feed and eventually develop a gaunt appearance. Often their skin will be off-color and their backbones clearly visible. These pigs are in danger of succumbing to disease.
For the most part stalled-out pigs are not suffering from disease, so environment and feed should be considered next.
Excessive heat can contribute to a reduction in feed intake. As intake drops, the daily requirements for growth become long-term considerations. Rations need to be adjusted, along with ventilation rates, to maintain growth.
Overcrowding can also cause reduced growth rates and uneven pig sizes. When there are more pigs in a pen than there should be, feed intake will drop. Aggression at the feeder will cause more timid animals to eat less frequently and they will grow slower than the rest of the group. Overcrowding hurts the animal most when it is young.
Rations that do not provide sufficient energy for protein deposition will also reduce growth rate, even though the amino acids meet the animals’ requirements. That’s because protein deposition requires energy.
Following specified ratios for each phase of growth ensures enough energy is consumed to allow optimum growth.
Frequently, a slowed growth rate is not discovered until shipping time. Adjusting the rations will give results within seven to 10 days, restoring growth rates. Once an animal stops growing it is difficult to return it to its full growth rate potential.
– Manitoba Swine Update
