Back to Basics: Feeder Management

At the most basic level, it is often said that pigs need three things to grow: good food, good water and good air. The swine industry spends a great deal of input resources and effort on producing feedstuffs, precisely formulating diets based on stage of production and available ingredients, and processing and transporting those finalized diets to the correct pigs at the correct time.

In fact, research by Iowa State University shows 60% to 70% of the total cost to raise a weaned pig to market weight is attributed to feed costs, highlighting the importance of feed in the overall productivity equation. A 2015 study by National Pork Board showed an estimated 70% of the energy needed to produce a market weight pig was used for production and transportation of feed.

Many efforts are focused on reducing feed costs via custom formulations, additives and optimized transportation, but management of the feed after it arrives in the finishing barn can also have an impact on feed efficiency and costs.

Reduce Competition with Adequate Feeder Space

For free-fed finishing pigs, adequate feeder space is needed to reduce competition. If too little feeder space, sometimes referred to as linear feeder space, is provided, the pigs will have greater competition and may reduce average daily weight gain. Too much linear feeder space can make managing feed pan coverage more challenging, but is usually not as problematic as too little space. For dry feeders, industry standards recommend having 1 inch per nursery pig and 1.88-2.0 inches per finishing pig. Wet-dry feeder space recommendations are slightly lower, at 1.15-1.25 inches per finishing pig. For a pen of 35 finishing pigs with a dry feeder, these recommendations suggest a feeder that is at least 66 inches wide.

Improve ADG with Proper Feed Pan Coverage

Proper feed pan coverage can improve average daily gain and feed to gain ratios. Industry recommendations for the ideal feed pan coverage percentage vary by pig age, with 50-70% coverage being ideal for pigs at placement in nursery and wean-finish barns, while a lower percentage of 25-60% is generally recommended for mid and late finishing. Too little feed pan coverage can increase time spent at the feeder and competition, while too much leads to wastage and sorting with extreme overfill resulting in excess feed ending up on the floor or in the pit. Several factors can dynamically influence feed pan coverage, such as feeder wear over time, diet composition and flow properties, and uniformity of pellet or ground particle size; thus, feed pan settings should be evaluated and adjusted at multiple points during the production cycle.