RED DEER – When swine nutritionist Jim Gowans inspects a hog barn, he checks the feeders.
Feed is the largest cost in pork production, ranging from 60 to 75 percent of the total input cost on a farm. Empty feeders or overflowing pans with clumped or stale feed do not make young pigs grow.
Those are among the many factors he considers when studying feed efficiency of grower and finisher pigs, he told a recent workshop.
Gowans is a swine nutritionist and a partner in Alberta Pig Co., which has about 9,000 sows.
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If a feeding pan is overfull, pigs can waste up to eight percent. Producers should check and clean feeders daily to make sure delivery systems are working properly. Pigs don’t like clumpy or stale feed and they will make things worse by rooting around looking for fresh food. Staff need to be trained to deliver feed properly and on time.
“Take a picture of a feeder when it is adjusted properly and stick it on your barn door,” Gowans said.
Feeders should be full during the first few weeks when young pigs enter the grower-finisher barn so they can find the feed and not get hungry and overeat when feed comes back.
Pigs on feed that is delivered inconsistently tend to get ulcers, twisted gut or rectal prolapse.
“These are health concerns that are the results of pigs being out of feed,” he said.
Proper feed intake drives efficient growth and can decrease the number of days to market, which is a saving in feed of up to nine kilograms per pig.
Feeders need to be set up so pigs are protected from others in their pen while they eat. There must be enough feeders. Seven to 14 pigs at one feeder is the range, with 10 being the average, but that depends on the type of feed, feeder style and size, as well as pen size.
The particle size of feed also affects intake. The target of 600 to 700 microns allows pigs to get the most benefit.
When buying grain, bushel weight is a crude measure of grain quality, but when it is tested, look for energy levels, fibre and digestibility levels.
Another measure is moisture. Barley is considered dry at 14.8 percent moisture, peas are dry at 15 percent and wheat at 14.5 percent but drier grain is better for pigs. It is easier to grind and feed efficiency is greater.
“If you can buy 10 percent (moisture level) you are getting more bang for your buck. You are buying less water.”
As for other feeds, dry pellets are eaten faster but with the development of new feeder technology, mash is just as good to deliver proper nutrients.
Dry feed is eaten slower but if water is added, it is consumed faster. This would be the same as trying to eat dry oatmeal rather than with milk.
“Water is the best and most important appetite stimulator. It increases feed consumption five percent.”
Gowans said water can be delivered in nipples or bowls. About 15 pigs per water nipple and 20 pigs per water bowl are good rules of thumb.
Water flow rate for growing pigs should be a minimum of 1.5 litres of water per minute and 1.5 to 2.1 L per minute for finishing pigs, especially during the warm months. Water consumption can increase by 40 percent in warm temperatures.
In recent years packers have demanded larger pigs with the acceptable weight range between 95 and 100 kg.
Expensive feeds are not necessary to hit the packer target and it is important to calculate what it costs to hit it.
