Al6—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, October 9,1982
NEWARK, Del. - Feed ac
counts for over 60 percent of the
total cost of producing a hog. This
is about average for a farrow-to
finish facility. Lower capital in
vestment operations may mvest
even more of their total production
m feed.
“Good nutritional programs
aren’t cheap, but they are an in
vestment in good performance,”
says University of Delaware
Extension livestock specialist
Richard Fowler.
He says an effective nutritional
program: is adjusted to meet the
needs of different classes of swine;
uses high quality ingredients; and
reaches pigs in the same for
mulations developed on paper.
A pig’s nutritional needs differ
with its age and condition. Feed
programs must be adjusted to
meet these needs, Fowler says. A
gestating sow, for example,
requires a different diet than a
finishing hog. Both need similar
amounts of protein, but vitamin
and mineral levels differ because a
pregnant sow consumes only four
or five pounds of diet, while a 200-
pound finishing hog eats seven or
eight.
Recent research at the
University of Delaware’s
Georgetown swine unit indicates it
costs less to produce gam on a 20-
pound feeder pig with an 18 percent
protein diet than with a cheaper 14
percent one.
Nutritional requirements are
best met using high quality
feedstuffs, Fowler says. Gram
should be No. 2 or better. It should
be free of mold, undamaged by
heat or insects, have minimum
foreign matter, and contain no
more than 12 percent to 14 percent
moisture.
IF'YOU SAY YES
TO NEW HAY OR
FORAGE EQUIPMENT,
BUT TOUR BUDGET
SAYS MAYBE...
***'"-
"#**!>
a. _
*** , " ' .
CONSIDER GEHL'S
NEW DELAYED
PAYMENT PROGRAM.
Here’s how it works You make a qualifying trade
or down payment now And you delay payment on
the balance until April 1. 1983, or as late as June 1.
1983 See your participating Gehl Dealer for details
Select from the following Gehl forage equipment
□ Forage Harvesters □ Forage Boxes □ Forage
Blowers □ Flail Choppers □ Round Balers □ Bale
Handlers □ Wheel Rakes □ Mower Conditioners □
Disc M owe rs TTT?
So stop in at your vy^ALr'Wli
participating Gehl
Dealer’s and put Gehl
work for you.
“If you must use inferior or
damaged gram,” he says, “feed it
to finishing hogs weighing 100
pounds or more. Don’t feed moldy
or damaged feed to your breeding
herd or to young pigs. ’ ’
Use vitamin-mineral premixes
within three months of purchase.
Some vitamins are damaged by
prolonged contact with certain
minerals, so, if possible, buy
premix with the two ingredients
packaged separately.
High protein feed ingredients
differ in quality because of
processing techniques and the
condition of the raw product.
Fowler says the urease test is an
effective way to tell whether
soybeans have been cooked enough
to destroy the trypsin inhibitor
present m the raw bean. Un
fortunately, though, there’s no
quick, easy way to determine
whether the bean has been over
cooked.
“Avoid soybean meal that has
many burned flakes,” he says. "It
may have lower nutritional
value."
Feed swine diets within two,
weeks after they are mixed, he
advises. “Imagine eating your
favorite breakfast cereal after it
has been out of the package
several weeks. Too often we expect
our hogs to perform effectively on
feed that’s old, stale and possibly
oxidized. Keep feeders clean and
dry.”
In implementing a good swine
nutrition program, it’s also
essential to get diets to the feeder
as formulated. The National
Research Council regularly up
dates and publishes the nutrient
requirements for swme.
“We know the importance of
using quality feedstuffs. The
•: 9
GEHL
Gehl Company. West Bend Wisconsin 53095
Feed pigs economically
challenge is putting them together
in a palatable, productive diet,”
the specialist says.
Nutritional problems on com
mercial hog farms often occur
because feed formulations on
paper don’t match those in the
feeder, although they’re supposed
to be identical. Fowler says there
are several possible reasons for
this discrepancy.
"The person doing the mixing
sometimes gets the wrong in
formation,” he says. “Com
munication is a great thing, but we.
often fail to use it. Review your
feed mixing instructions or for
mulation sheet. Are you putting in
what the diet lists?”
If someone else is mixing on the
farm, it may be worthwhile to
check their procedure. Errors in
weighing or mixing contribute to
poor diets. New grinder-mixers
have accurate scales attached.
Models without scales probably
depend on volume to determine
weight. But does the volume of
gram weigh as much as it’s sup
posed to?
Using the wrong premix and
distributing ingredients unevenly
when adding them in small
amounts are other causes of poor
TARP
SALE
CANVAS TARPS
• treated against mildew
• double-stitch seams, rope rein
forced hem with double lock stitch
• rust resistant brass grommets with
heavy duty webbing for strength
POLY TARPS*
• strong, lightweight polyethylene
tarp
• grommets every 3’
• many uses including covering wood
piles, patio furniture, power equip
ment and many more
(43-7102,03, 04, 06)
Poly tarps not stocked at all locations
CRESSONA
717/385-2160
LEBANON
717/273-2621
HENRY B. HOOVER INC.
(Ephrata)
717/733-6593
swine diets. Is the premix being
used for the class of swine listed?
When growing/fuushing premixes
are used for the breeding herd,
vitamin and mineral deficiencies
usually result. Add smaller
quantity ingredients near the end
of the mixing process and blend for
a short time usually five
minutes i c enough
' ll
rainbow
SALE ENDS OCT. 30, 1982
LEESPORT
215/926-3717
LANCASTER NEW HOLLAND
717/394-0541 717/354-4526
CHAPMAN FARM & HOME
215/395-3381
Efficient swine production
depends heavily on well for
mulated, carefully mixed diets.
Review mixing practices to be sure
they’re giving accurate results.
Fowler advises sampling the diet
periodically and sending it to a
feed lab for analysis of at least
protein, calcium and phosphorus.
Canvas or
poly for
dozens of
uses around
the farm
or home
CUT SIZE
WGT.
6xB'
(43-7000)
10 oz
r x9'
(43-7010)
10 oz
8' x 10'
(43-7001)-
10 oz
8’ x 12'
'(43-7011)
10 oz
10’ x 12'
(43-7002)
10 oz
10' x 16'
(43-7029)
12 oz
12’ x 14'
(43-7030)
12 oz
12' x 18'
(43-7032)
12 oz
SIZE
REG
6' x 8'
$7 49
8' x 10'
Sl2 95
9' x 12'
$17,49
12' x 14'
$26 95
IRONTON OUARRYVILLE
215/799-3111 717/786-2126
REG
SALE
$13.95
519.95
$26.20
$18.95
$24.95
$33 29
$39.95
$28.95
$49 95
$37.95
$72.00
$49.95
$75 65
$53.95
$97 25
$69.95
SALE
$5.99
$9.95
-$14.49
$20.95
SALUNGA
717/898-2248