Protein: Choosing the Right Source for Your Swine Herd
BY RICHARD BARCZEWSKI
University of Delaware
NEWARK, Del. - We in the
swine industry are constantly
faced with feeding decisions. Some
of these decisions involve selecting
feed grains and protein sup
plements to ensure a quality ration
at a minimum cost.
Protein is one of the most ex
pensive ingredients in a swine
ration (excluding additives and
premixes) and warrants some
discussion.
First of all, just what is protein?
It’s an essential component of all
animal tissue. Without it, life could
not exist. The building blocks of
proteins are long chains of amino
acids. The order in which these
amino acids are linked determines
the chemical characteristics of
proteins and their function in the
body.
Altogether, there are about 20
different amino acids, of which 10
are essential. Each essential
amino acid must be present in the
Angus Assoc. Slates Profits
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - How to get
paid for the extra value that cat
tlemen breed into beef cattle will
be discussed by a wide range of
beef cattle producers, feeders,
educators and beef marketers at
the National Beef Profit Con
ference set for September 11 and 12
in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Sponsored by the American
Angus Association, conference
topics will range from how to use
performance pedigrees to achieve
high predictability in feeder and
finished cattle to how to mer
chandise quality beef for added
profit.
Henry Gardiner of Ashland,
Kansas, immediate past-president
of the Beef Improvement
Federation, and registered Angus
breeder will keynote the con
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diet in adequate amount for op
timum growth and performance.
(Hogs can synthesize non-essential
amino acids, provided enough
nitrogen or other proteins are
present.) So when balancing your
swine rations for protein content,
make sure enough of each
essential amino acid is present for
top performance.
Lysine is the most commonly
deficient amino acid in the grains
normally fed to livestock. Com is
low in lysine; soybean oil meal has
mord. When these two ingredients
are mixed, they lysine level should
be adequate.
Feedstuffs that contain more
than 20 percent protein are
generally considered good protein
sources. Soybean meal (44 to 50
percent protein) is the major
source in swine diets, accounting
for more than 85 percent of all the
protein supplements used.
Other possible sources include:
cottonseed meal (41 percent
ference. Recognized as one of the
top producers of performance
seedstock, Gardiner will discuss
how he has been able to stack
performance pedigrees to achieve
high predictability in cattle for all
segments of the industry.
This will be followed by a panel
of commercial cattle producers
from across the country who will
tell “How to add profit to a com
mercial herd by using Sire
Evaluation.” Panel members are
Lynn Ballagh, Burwell, Nebraska;
Gray Coyner, Delaplane, Virginia;
and Tom Price, Pendleton,
Oregon. The panel will be
moderated by John Crouch,
director of performance programs
for the American Angus
Association.
The day-and-a-half conference
will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday,
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protein), rapeseed meal (38 per
cent), peanut meal (50 percent),
fish meal (60 percent), dried skim
milk (33 percent), and meat and
bone meal (50 percent protein).
Care must be taken to avoid any
protein supplement that contains
enzymes or compounds that might
reduce the pig’s performance. For
example, raw soybeans contain a
trypsin inhibitor that can reduce
growth rate. Heating beans to 250
degrees F will destroy this com
pound and eliminate the problem.
Soybean meal has already been
through a heating process and can
safely be included at up to 20
percent of the ration.
Other supplements with problem
compounds are cottonseed meal,
which contains gossypol; rapeseed
meal, which contains
glucosmolates; and peanut meal,
which is susceptible to a fungus
that can produce aflatoxin. Check
your sources to make sure you’re
getting high quality ingredients
that are low in problem com-
Conference
September 11, with an open house
at the American Angus Association
headquarters in St. Joseph,
Missouri.
Registration for the conference
is $25 which includes the program
plus the Thursday night dinner and
coffee breaks. For additional in
formation and hotel reservations,
write or telephone the American
Angus Association, 3201 Frederick,
St. Joseph, Missouri 64501.
Telephone 816/233-3101.
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pounds.
Now that we’ve covered some
protein sources, how do you choose
which ones to buy?
One factor to consider is the
amount of supplement you can
include in the ration. Soybean meal
can make up to 20 percent of the
ration without depressing per
formance. On the other hand,
rations can contain up to eight
percent cottonseed meal, 10 per
cent rapeseed meal or 10 percent
peanut meal. Fish meal and meat
and bone meal should not make up
any more than five percent of the
ration. Cost usually limits the
inclusion of dried milk products.
The most important factor in
choosing a protein supplement is
cost. When comparing various
sources, calculate the per unit cost
of protein in each source.
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An easy way to do this is by
dividing the cost per ton by 20 to
get the cost per 100 pounds of
supplement. Then divide the cost
per 100 pounds by the percent
protein in the supplement. This
gives you the per-pourid cost of
protein.
Example: 44 percent soybean
meal at a cost of $2OO per ton; $2OO
divided by 20 cwt. = $lO per 100
lbs.; $lO divided by .44 = 23 cents
per pound of protein.
These calculations offer you a
method for comparing the protein
cost of various supplements. Make
sure you periodically check the
prices of protein supplements
available, since these may vary.
For further information on
protein and amino acids for swine,
consult PIH-5 in your Pork In
dustry Handbook.
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