Pellets are a better feed for pigs than straight mash from a mixer, researchers generally agree.
However, producers paying for expensive pellets may not be getting the gains they expect, an American expert told the recent Manitoba Swine Seminar.
“You really need to focus on pellet quality,” Kansas State University animal nutrition specialist Joe Hancock said.
“If the fines (broken-down pellets) in your feeder get much above 30 to 40 percent, you’ve lost the whole economic return from pelleting.”
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
Hancock said pelleting generally pays off, resulting in a six to seven percent gain in feed efficiency and gain, even though researchers aren’t sure why.
With the cost of pelleting averaging about four percent of the cost of the feed, it all tends to be a profitable decision, he added.
However, pellets can break down in the real world of commercial hog barns because of rough handling, overhandling or poor quality pellets.
If that happens, there is no advantage in feed efficiency or gain from the extra expense of pelleting.
Producers at the Manitoba Swine Seminar also heard myth-busting lessons from Jane Goodridge, a swine nutritionist with FeedRite in Winnipeg. She said farmers often supply their animals with far more minerals and supplements than they need.
Many farmers are giving pigs 2.5 times the amount of vitamin E that they need, and minerals such as selenium are often over-supplemented.
The idea that more is always better is a myth, she added. As well, it hurts the pocketbook.
“It’s quite a bit of money,” Goodridge said.
“If it costs money, am I getting value for my money?”
