New resource will give pork producers a better way to determine what to feed their herds.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri swine specialists have teamed up with experts from other universities, the swine industry and USDA to create the first National Swine Nutrition Guide.
“It’s a multistate effort that covers everything from management to feeding principles,” said Marcia Shannon, MU Extension swine nutrition specialist. “It used to be that every state had its own extension guide – Kansas State has a very good one and Iowa State had its own – but now institutions are working together to develop these nutritional recommendations to define what producers should feed their pigs.”
This guide marks a new approach to determining hog diets for many farmers. Instead of talking about crude protein and other nutrients, new formulas consider only digestible parts of the diet.
“We’re trying to take how nutritionists and industry formulate diets to the next level,” Shannon said. “Moving to talking about digestible amino acids and phosphorus is the future and can be considered a more green approach to formulating diets.”
Thirty-three fact sheets cover subjects from protein and amino acid sources and nutrient recommendations to water systems and effects on air quality.
In addition, an Excel-based computer program will allow producers to formulate their own diets.
“It’s a really neat program because it gives cost as well as recommendations for nursery pigs, grow-finish operations, sows and others,” Shannon said. “It has the ability to do shadow pricing, so if you want to know when it’s economical to start putting distillers grains into your hogs’ diet it can tell you, for example, that it needs to be $200 per ton before it will be economical to add with current corn prices.”
This national approach – paid for by the U.S. Pork Center for Excellence and the United Soybean Board – signifies a shift away from individualized state guides to a nationally standardized approach. Tight university extension budgets and fewer nutrition faculty in some states make this approach a beneficial use of resources and time.
“Missouri never had its own guide before, but we have been excited to work together to create a guide that will likely be available across the whole U.S.,” Shannon said.
Shannon will discuss the guide in a session at the Missouri Pork Association’s annual Pork Expo, Feb. 10-11, in Columbia.
The guide’s first release will be during six educational training sessions across the country. The only Missouri session is Feb. 17 at the Hilton Kansas City Airport Hotel. Registration is $80. See www.usporkcenter.org for registration and more information.