Posted by Dr. Reed Leiting on June 16 2004 09:15
Swine Newsletter 1st Quarter 2004
From a swine ingredient standpoint in the upper Midwest, we live in a corn and soybean meal world. At times we have the opportunity to include other sources of energy and protein (amino acids) when they are cost effective. We have some alternative feedstuffs that need to be considered at this time.
Dried Distillers Grains with Soluables (DDGS)
The price of DDGS has moved around in recent months. In the summer and fall months of 2003 the price of DDGS was very economical to use in swine diets. In late fall and winter the price of DDGS rose due to an ethanol plant going off line, grain prices, etc. In the last week with the price of soybean meal and corn rising, DDGS has become economical to use in swine diets again. We replace corn and soybean meal with DDGS in swine diets. We will generally use up to 15% in finishing rations and 10% in gestation rations.
Meat and Bone Meal
Due to many circumstances including the "Mad Cow" concern in cattle, the price of swine origin meat and bone meal (MBM) is lagging other protein sources. Cattle origin meat and bone meal was outlawed as a feed ingredient to be used in food producing animals in 1997. It is and always been acceptable to feed swine origin MBM to food producing animals including cattle. MBM is 50% protein compared to a soybean meal which is 46.5%. MBM is a good source of high quality protein, calcium, and phosphorus. In most diets, we will substitute up to 25% of the protein needed with MBM. Although there is no science to support it, there remains some concern that swine origin meat and bone meal could be removed as an ingredient source from all food producing animals due to public perception following the Mad Cow case in the United States.
Even though we live in a corn and soybean meal world, units need to keep an eye on alternative ingredient pricing to watch for opportunities to source best cost feed.