New online tool models pig nutrition and performance
A new online tool, developed in the United States, allows pig producers worldwide to compare feeding programmes and model pig performance
Vincent ter BeekEditor of Pig Progress / Topic: Pigs around the world
Aug 17
News
The tool, called Feed4Profit was developed by Iowa State University and supported by the US Soybean Export Council. The tool is said to help producers and nutritionists analyse ingredient costs and make informed feeding decisions to maximise profit per pig
In a press release by US Soybean Export Council, it was explained that users can design programmes with different ingredients, model the performance response of pigs and compare the forecasted income and feed costs over a 12-month period, based on future price estimates
“Profitability is about more than just feed costs, and performance is about more than just crude protein,” said Thomas D’Alfonso, worldwide animal nutrition focus area director for the US Soybean Export Council
He added: “This tool allows producers to understand how balancing the nutrient profile has a real impact on swine performance and price. It’s a great relue out of their feeding programmes.”
The US Soybean Export Council pointed to seasonal changes in its news release. Dr David Rosero, attached to Iowa State’s Swine Applied Innovations Laboratory, was quoted saying: “Nutritionists often talk about the summer carcass weight dip as an opportunity to capture dollars when market prices are typically at their highest. This tool can help producers analyse the financial impacts of adjusting feeding programmes while still meeting minimum nutritional requirements.”
Feeding programmes
Currently, the tool has few pre-loaded feeding programmes available for comparison, with the ability to customise ingredients, nutrient requirements and weight ranges for different growing phases. Future updates will allow users to create and save custom feeding programmes, expanding the tool’s flexibility and usefulness for individual operations
