D2-Lancaster Farming Saturday, June 25, 1988
Protein Alternatives
If you’re in the business of buy
ing soybean meal- and all hog
producers are in one way or
another the recent price
increases have probably eaten a
pretty big hole in your checking
account A year ago 48 percent
soybean meal cost about $240 per
ton. Six months ago it was up to
$275 per ton. And now the market
price is $330 per ton. All this, since
last June, has added at least $S to
the cost of finishing a feeder pig,
while hog prices have dropped $lO
per cwt. The net result is a decrease
in profits of nearly $3O per head.
What can you do about it? Not
much. There are lots of protein
sources that can be used to substi
tute for part or all of the soybean
meal. But prices of protein alterna
tives tend to follow soybean meal.
As I’ll explain, about the only
change we can make currently to
cut down on protein costs is to use
synthetic lysine.
Here are some comments and
feed costs for using various protein
alternatives. The costs are based
on a “standard” grower diet con
taining 16 percent protein (.80 per
cent lysine), with com at $2.60 per
bushel, 48 percent soybean meal at
$330 per ton and vitamins and
minerals at $l5 per ton of com
plete feed.
44 PERCENT
SOYBEAN MEAL
If you have the option of using
either 44 or 48 percent soybean
meal, you’re normally further
ahead with 48 percent. There are
no differences in performance but
48 percent meal permits the use of
more com, and feed costs are usu
ally a little cheaper. Current mark
et price of 44 percent soybean
meal: $317 per ton. Complete feed
cost using 44 percent soybean
Cornell Poultry Conference
To Focus On Animal
ITHACA. NY—More than 150
members of the poultry industry
from throughout the Northeast and
Canada will gather here to discuss
animal welfare and other issues
affecting the industry at the Cor
nell University Poultry Confer
ence at the Ithaca Holiday Inn on
June 29 and 30.
High on the agenda are the
implications of a referendum to be
held in Massachusetts in Novem
ber, which could result in a ban on
cage systems currently used for
egg production, according to the
conference chairman, Robert C.
Baker, a professor of food science
at Cornell.
“The Massachusetts referen
dum, if passed, could have a major
impact on the nation’s poultry
industry,” Baker said.
The issue will be debated in a
panel discussion starting at 3:40
p.m. on June 29. The panelists are
David L. Call, dean of the College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences at
Pork
Prose
by
Kenneth B. Kephart
Penn State Extension Swine Specialist
meal: about $1 per ton over stan
dard diet
LYSINE-HCL
Lysine-HCI, another name for
synthetic lysine, can be combined
with com to give you something
that will do the job of soybean
meal. For 1-ton ration, take 100
pounds of soybean meal out of
your formula, and replace it with
3.5 pounds of lysine-HCI and 96.5
pounds of com. PRECAUTIONS:
1) Don’t remove more than 100
pounds of soybean meal from a
1 -ton formula or other deficiencies
will result. 2) Mix the lysine with
at least 25 pounds of ground grain
before adding to the mixer to
ensure good distribution. Current
market price of synthetic lysine: $2
per pound. Complete feed cost
with lysine added: about $5 per ton
under standard diet.
ROASTED SOYBEANS
In the last couple of years,
roasted soybeans have provided a
cheaper source of protein that soy
bean meal. The high fat level in the
bean also improves feed efficiency
and reduces dust levels in the
building picture for most produc
ers (even with the improved feed
efficiency). Current market price
of soybeans (including roasting):
$9 per bushel. Complete feed cost
with 571 pounds roasted soybeans
included: about $l3 per ton over
standard diet.
ALFALFA MEAL
For producers that raise their
own alfalfa, feed costs could pos
sibly be reduced with this ingre
dient. But for those buying alfalfa
meal, feed costs go up with the
addition of this ingredient.
Another drawback is a drop in feed
efficiency because of the low ener
gy content in alfalfa meal. With
present market conditions, alfalfa
would have to sell for less than $9O
per ton to make it competitive with
Cornell; Hugh Johnson of the
American Farm Bureau Federation
in Park Ridge, 111.; Mabel Owen,
director of the Massachusetts
Department of Food and Agricul
ture; and New York State Assemb
lyman Richard I. Combe, a mem
ber of the State Assembly Agricul
ture Committee. The discussion is
titled “Animal Welfare How
Long Can You Keep Layers in
Cages?”
Another paneL discussion, to be
held at 10:45 a.m. on June 30, will
focus on research at Cornell and
other universities into bronchitis, a
viral poultry respiratory disease
affecting egg quality. During the
session, several poultry farmers
will share their experiences with
this serious malady.
Other topics include:
• A new tdst that more accurate
ly measures cholesterol levels in
eggs.
• New egg pricing systems to
reflect supply and demand.
soybean meal. Current market
price of alfalfa meal: $196 per ton.
Complete feed cost with 200
pounds alfalfa meal included:
about $6 per ton over standard
diet
MEAT AND BONE MEAL
Meat and bone meal is a little
higher in protein than soybean
meal, and a lot higher in calcium
and phosphorus. This means that
you can save on both soybean costs
and mineral costs. But meat and
bone meal has its drawbacks. First,
meat and bone meal is usually
more expensive than soybean
meal. Secondly, the calcium and
phosphorus levels vary. And final
ly, meat and bone meal, like other
animal by-products, carries some
risk of bacterial or viral contami
nation. Current market price of
meat and bone meal: $370 per ton.
Complete feed cost with 100
pounds meat and bone meal
included: about $1 per ton over
standard diet.
CORN DISTILLERS
DRIED GRAINS
While com distillers is fairly
high in protein (27 percent), it’s
lysine level is low (.6 percent). So
com distillers has to be similar to
the price of corn to reduce total
feed costs. Current market price of
corn distillers dried grains: $165
per ton. Complete feed cost with
200 pounds corn distillers
included: about $4 per ton over
standard diet.
BREWERS DRIED GRAINS
Brewers grains are similar to
com distillers. Protein level is high
and lysine level is low. Again, it
has to be close to the price of corn
to be a bargain in a swine ration.
Current market price of brewers
dried grains: $145 per ton. Com
plete feed cost with 200 pounds
brewers grains included: about the
same as the standard diet.
FISH MEAL
While fish meal is an excellent
source of protein and lysine, it’s
always expensive. Many feed
companies use a small amount of
fish meal in starter diets to improve
protein quality, but as a major pro
tein source, it’s not as economical
as soybean meal. Current market
price of fish meal: $550 per ton.
Complete feed cost with 50 pounds
fish meal included: about $7 per
ton over standard diet.
SUMMARY
The price of soybean meal has
been going up rapidly. We can use
other sources of protein to substi
tute for part or all of the soybean
meal, but currently the only option
that will save you money is synthe
tic lysine.
Welfare
• Washing eggs properly to pre
vent salmonella bacteria
contamination.
• Efforts by the State Depart
ment of Agriculture and Markets
to promote the poultry industry in
New York.
• Improving eggshell quality.
• The problem of chemical
residues in poultry feed.
• Basic research in immuno
physiology and its significance to
the poultry industry.
• Markets in New York City
that sell live chickens, turkeys,
ducks and rabbits.
• Control of flies on poultry
farms.
The two-day conference is
sponsored jointly by Cornell’s
Department of Poultry and Avian
Sciences and Cornell Cooperative
Extension. More information
about the program and registration
can be obtained by phoning Baker
at (607) 255-2149.
Doublean Genetics Now
Has Belgian Blue Bulls
NORWALK, CT Doublean
Genetics announced today that
semen from two lean-producing
bulls is available for the first time
in North America. The bulls,
named Gribouille and Blythe
Courage, are fiill-blood Belgian
Blues. Use of these genetics will
allow any producer to increase the
carcass yield on his beef animals
by at least 5 percent.
Doublean president Dr. Don
Silvert commented,
around the world, and especially
here in the United States, have
been asking for leaner beef for a
long time. In the breeds that we are
focusing on, a very lean carcass is
produced, which yet retains good
flavor and tenderness.” Doublean
has experience using both the Bel
gian Blue and Piedmontese breeds
for the production of high-yield,
lean carcasses.
Dr. Silvert continued, “These
Semen Is now available for the first time in North America
for Doublean’s Griboville, a lean-producing, easy-calving
sire.
Cattlemen To Sponsor
Youth Carcass Sale
RICHMONDVILLE, NY A
youth carcass sale sponsored by
The New York Beef Cattlemen’s
Association will be held at this
year’s New York State Fair. “The
program is open to youth and 4-H
members,” said Brian Scofield,
chairman of this year’s sale. “We
think that making this a youth only
sale will encourage more young
sters and 4-H members to partici
pate.” Also new for 1988’s State
Fair we’re not restricting it to the
beef breeds. According to Sco
field, “We’re hoping that youth
with dairy steers will also enter
their animals.”
To be eligible for entry in the
carcass auction competition, all
4-H or Youth animals must previ
ously have been entered and exhi
bited in both the “on hoof’Youth
Carcass Show and the “on hoof’
Open Class Carcass Show. Cattle
will have to be in plate at the Beef
Cattle Bam at The State Fair
grounds by Saturday, August 27th
at 9:00 a.m. with weigh-in occur
ring at noon on Monday, August
29th. Animals will be judged at
2:00 p.m. the same day. The annu
al State Fair Carcass Sale will fol
low the judging. The sale annually
attracts buyers from throughout
Pork Board Allocates
$1.36 Million To Program
DES MOINES, la. The sive summer media and promotion
National Pork Board, in its second campaign during 1988.
year as administrator of pork pro- These efforts will expand on the
ducer checkoff funds, recently successful Pork the Other
allocated $1.36 million to the White Meat™ theme, targeting key
National Pork Producers Council consumer audiences through
(NPPC) for use in a comprehen- (Turn to Page D 4)
breeds carry ‘lean’ genes that
cause them to stay lean even on
high-energy feed. If fed well, a
producer can expect even the half
blood animal to weigh in at over
1,000 pounds at 365 days. The car
cass will be at least 80 percent
meat, made lean genetically.”
“We are particularly careful to
select only sires and dams from
lines that have excellent structure,
muscling, and calving ease. All of
our bulls have characteristics that
make them useful for either heifers
or cows. We expect a lot of very
pleased producers next spring
when they look over their ‘Doub
lean’ calves!”
Doublean Genetics Corp. prom
otes the use of genetics and man
agement for the production of
naturally lean beef. For more
information, please call or write:
P.O. Box 547, Norwalk, CT
06852; 203-846-9359.
the state who are interested in pur
chasing the lop five carcasses.
Only five carcasses will be auc
tioned. The animals to be auc
tioned are limited to those 4-H or
Youth entries which, after slaugh
ter, have been judged to be the top
five “on rail” carcasses from
among all those entered in the
Youth competition. The contend
ing bidders will be competing to
purchase the top five places, not
for particular animals. Since the
animals will not have been slaugh
tered, nor the top five carcasses
determined until after the auction.
the actual animal which the win-
ning bidder buys will not yet be
known.
“The carcass sale is an ideal way
to reward these youth for their hard
work,” said Scofield. “Most often
the money is set aside by the
youngsters for their future educa
tion expenses.” For additional
information about this year’s
Youth Carcass Sale contact: Brian
Scofield, Scofield Farms, RD#3,
Addison, NY 14801;
607-359-3199 or Henry Bono,
president. New York Beef Cattle
men’s Assoc., RD#l Box 219,
Richmondvillc, NY 12149;
518-294-7716.