Using Feed Curves To Lower Cost Per Pound of Gain
By Corey Jones, Feedlogic Corp.
Last month we provided an overview of the Feedlogic FeedSaver system and some of the ways it can be used to reduce feed cost. In this article, we’ll look at what it takes to build a feed curve tailored to your pigs and specific conditions. The more this is fine-tuned, the greater the opportunity to extract value from today’s higher-priced feed ingredients and lower your cost per pound of gain.
The two key factors to successfully setting up your feed curve are:
- Knowing the pig’s nutrient requirements at several points along the curve (typically at different weights). You may be able to obtain this from your genetics supplier or you can use standard data for modern genetics.
- Setting the correct feed budget (expected intake) for each stage of growth. The FeedSaver can help you obtain this information because it tracks intake and can provide an Intake Profile at the end of every turn. For the first turn, you can use standard industry data on intake or base it on the feed budgets you are already using with stepped diets. Be aware that many standard budgets may not have been updated for a long time and may not be accurate.
With the above information, you can begin to construct a curve tailored to your specific situation. The first step is determining how many segments you want in the curve. A segment is a stage of growth, typically a beginning pig weight and an expected end weight. With FeedSaver and NutriSync software, you can set the beginning nutrient requirement (expressed in crude protein or lysine percentage) and the ending requirement. You also set a budgeted amount of feed for that segment.
The system will blend two base diets so that the pigs start with the intended initial nutrient level and receive a gradually reduced level until the end of the segment (when they have consumed the budgeted amount of feed). At the end of the segment, the system automatically moves the pigs on to the next segment which has been preprogrammed.
As an example, let’s assume the two base diets are at 1.25% lysine (High) and .55% lysine (Low) and you want to start at 1.03% and end at 0.89% lysine with a total budget of 100 lbs/pig. To achieve this, our starting blend percentages (point A) will be 68% High: 32% Low and our end percentages (point B) will be 48% High: 52% Low. You can also choose how many times you want to change the blend between points A and B. For our example, we will choose 10 sub-segments, meaning the diet will decrease by .014% lysine for every 10 lbs delivered to a pig. Each segment and sub-segment can be set up differently to suit the pig’s changing requirements at each stage of growth (see Figure 1).
Figure 1
Feed budgets in the curve are all on a per pig basis. When a barn is filled, the user enters the pen inventories into the system and the system uses this number to determine the total amount to be delivered to each feeder and also calculates total intake. When a pig is removed from the pen, the user can easily record a removal from a given pen and the feed budget is automatically adjusted.
All this adds up to a number of benefits over the standard stepped (phase) feeding programs with preset budgets:
- More frequent changes in the diet matches the pig’s requirements more accurately and lowers feed cost.
- Diets can be tailored to specific genetics and barn conditions.
- Diets can be targeted to specific groups of pigs (gilts, barrows, lights, heavies, etc).
- Feed budgets are followed precisely. The pigs decide when to move onto the next phase (based on intake) – it is not up to the mill or the barn manager to track budgets and determine what diet needs to be delivered next.
- Fewer diets are required from the mill, making it easier to ensure the right feed is delivered to the right bin and lower the mill’s cost of production.
Corey Jones is Service Manager for Feedlogic Corporation. He has a Masters Degree in Swine Nutrition from Kansas State University. Contact: cjones@feedlogic.com or 515-418-2153
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