PEAK Swine Genetics attended a successful Alberta Pork Festival in Red Deer last month. Congratulations to Pearl and Robyn for their ideas and craftiness to win the "Best Dressed Site" on the Festival grounds. It was a great opportunity to barbeque some fine Alberta pork ribs supplied by OLYMEL for everyone to taste and to recognize the new pork products being served to the public by several of the vendors.

Rev. Rob Brown, writing in the Western Producer had this to say about the state of agriculture today: "Farmers make up 3% of our population. Ironically, while Canadian farmers help feed the world, they often come close to starving their own families in the process, something that needs to change. Food security and freedom from hunger are generally assumed in Canada. In a world where many people pay 80% of what they earn for food, Canadians pay less than 20% but often complain about that."

I can only agree with this sentiment! Our food costs are low.

Miltow Colony weighed its first finishing hogs bred from Trailblazer boars and Summit gilts. Those very first barrows and gilts weighed 110 kg at 139 days of age.

A US survey asked producers what challenges the pork industry faces in the next five years that could influence production outcomes:

We appreciate the purchases by all of our regular clients!

Starbright Colony is now rearing 10.4 pigs per litter from Summit ^® sows and gilts, compared to the 10 pigs per litter weaned from its previous breeding stock source.

F&S Hog Farm farrowed 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 live piglets from the last five purebred gilt litters put through the farrowing barn. Expect most of these piglets to live, given the TLC from that dedicated manager.

With modern lean-type pigs, one of the biggest limiting factors in pig growth under practical conditions is reduced energy intake, especially for pigs up to 65 kg. As the energy density of the diet increases, there is an increase in protein growth up to the level of the genetic potential of the pigs. With good genotypes, this may occur at about 85 kg. After this weight, daily lean growth remains the same up to slaughter weight (113 kg). However, the response in fat growth to increased dietary energy level remains linear.

Although an increase in the energy level of the diet usually results in a decrease in feed intake, energy intake usually increases. The formulation or nutrient specifications of your diets should be farm- specific, that is, the diets should be formulated on the basis of knowledge of the lean tissue growth rate and feed intake of the pigs on your farm. Without such knowledge, estimates of nutrient requirements must be made. An example of such estimated requirements is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Nutrition allowance for growing-finishing pigs

Table 2. Ideal pattern of amino acids as a percent of the lysine level

Amino Acid Digestible amino acid basis

These suggested nutrient allowances should be appropriate for pigs of above-average growth rate. Although they won’t promote excessive fatness, they should allow carcass backfat levels between 18-24 mm, which should facilitate easy removal of skin from the carcass by pulling.

For hogs sold to packers that do not skin the carcass (scalding plants), the dietary energy level could be reduced to 3.15 Mcal DE/kg in the growth period 80 to 115 kg.

Because pigs can adjust their feed intake according to the energy content of the diet, it is essential that the amino acid lysine be fed in a specific ratio to the energy in the diet, at least up to the late finishing stage. A suggested lysine to energy ratio for pigs with good lean growth rate might be:

There are other dietary essential amino acids that must be included in the diet if the pig is to grow well. These essential amino acids are included in the diet in a specific ratio to lysine, reflecting the approximate ratios that they occur in pig muscles. An example of such a ratio is shown in Table 2. This ratio of amino acids is called an ideal ratio. Only those amino acids likely to be limiting in Western Canada are included in the table.

The final step

By careful selection of feedstuffs on the basis of cost and quality, diets can be formulated to meet the pig’s nutrient requirements and thereby promote optimum and cost effective lean tissue growth.

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